On the 1st of March 1954, the USA produced the biggest ever man-made explosion so far in the Pacific archipelago of Bikini, part of the Marshall Islands. One of the atolls was totally vaporised, disappearing into a gigantic mushroom cloud that spread at least 100 miles wide and dropping back to the sea in the form of radioactive fall-out. The Atomic Energy Commission announced this was the first in a series of tests to be carried out in the area.
The bomb was up to 1,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima and was so violent that it overwhelmed the measuring instruments, indicating that the bomb was much more powerful than scientists had anticipated. Indeed, three weeks after the explosion it was discovered that a Japanese fishing boat, called Lucky Dragon, had been within 80 miles of the test zone at the time. Its 23 crew were severely affected by radiation sickness. They were among 264 people accidentally exposed to radiation because the explosion and fall-out had been far greater than expected.
Tests first began in Bikini in 1946 after the inhabitants were moved to the island of Rongerik, then to Ujelan a year later and to Kili in 1949. They were granted $325,000 in compensation and returned to Bikini in 1974. But they were evacuated four years later when new tests showed high levels of residual radioactivity in the region.
Twenty-three nuclear tests were carried out at Bikini between 1946 and 1958.
Cut, Paste, and Precis: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/1/newsid_2781000/2781419.stm
Boadicea's Chariot 
Quite appalling, Boadicea, if only because they had no idea of the consequences. I recall something about sunglasses being issued as protection!
Appalling is the right word.
One site claims that the corals which were utterly destroyed at the time are now regrowing… amazing!
The coral regrowth, if is true, is most encouraging. This happens with other man-made disasters; oil spills for example. Awful at the time, but recovery is relatively swift. The planet fights back!
This is a salutary reminder of the dangers of inadequate scientific rigour, reflected today by the faked science, stubbornness and obstinacy of a small group of Anthropogenic Global Warming zealots.
They haven’t done their sums properly, either.
Didn’t the french carry on with atmospheric testing long after the treaty which banned it?
I seem to remember we Brits did a whole bunch of tests on Aussie soil too.
Shameful stuff.
Bearsy re your AGW comment, I just read this article on the DT page. Gore should not only be stripped of the nobel he should be held accountable for this too.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/argentina/7344329/Baby-survives-parents-global-warming-suicide-pact.html
Horrific to think that any parent would be capable of pulling this off.
Furry, the French tests were in the news only 2 weeks ago:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100218/world-news/french-nuke-tests-cloud-victims-health-50-years-on
I read that troops were sent into the test zones to see what would happen!
Such was the extent of popular approval for the Bikini tests that the name was successfully adopted for the latest craze in beach fashion! The ‘bikini’ swimsuit was supposed to have caused the same earth-shattering reaction among those who viewed it as was inspired by the rising mushroom clouds of atomic bombs.
A bit like dubbing a new fashion colour these days ‘guantanamo orange’.
MoD faces £100m claim for atom bomb veterans
The Ministry of Defence faces a £100 million compensation bill for allegedly allowing thousands of troops to be exposed to radiation during atom bomb tests in the 1950s, the High Court was told
More here:-
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/4306983/MoD-faces-100m-claim-for-atom-bomb-veterans.html
Even more interesting to realise that whatever happened at Bikini atoll would be such as a pimple on the bum of a supervolcano such as Yellowstone firing off!
As and when it goes, not if, the explosion alone would be thousands of times more violent than all the nuclear explosions ever detonated, together!
the magma chamber alone is 40 miles by 20 miles wide, that is the size of what would vent there is no pipe.
Interestingly the last one was 75,000 years ago in Indonesia it is thought it reduced humanity to a few hundred people, which is one of the reasons human DNA is so restricted and we are all related so closely.
This time round we would die in our billions, mainly from starvation, world wide.
For the faint hearted, Yellowstone is not imminent,but it is from its state judged overdue, the hot spot has been in the same place for too long, (they should move around more) Not too wonderful either that an 8.8 should have been on the Pacific subduction zone, put that further North and it would have shaken the shit out of Yellowstone, the less aggravated that one is the better!
Just thought I would put Bikini in context for you. Armageddon is highly unlikely to be man made or from outer space, its right beneath our feet, waiting.
How jolly, Happy St David’s Day.
I watched a programme about Yellowstone – pretty terrifying. But there’s nothing we can do about that one – except hope! The appalling thing about these ‘tests’ is that those who ran them were aware that radiation was a problem, and went ahead anyway.
Yup CO,
It was called supervolcano and the science was pretty darn scary stuff.
Even if the blast or the molten rock dont get you, the ash thrown into the atmosphere would be enough to plunge the entire planet into an ice age.
Still, I don’t think I’ll cancel the milk delivery just yet. 🙂
Bo, I don’t think they really knew the long term effects, or how long the residuals last in the environment, they are notably a lot more careful these days.
Big trouble with scientists, too much ‘lets see what happens’. One has ones doubts about that super collider if it got out of hand, they refused to build it in Dallas, although they had the funding.
Ferret, yup, it would make pretty old yoghurt!