Operation Cresset Explained

Cresset
Country:	United States
Test Site:	NTS Area 12, Rainier Mesa NTS Area 19, 20, Pahute Mesa NTS, Areas 1–4, 6–10, Yucca Flat
Period:	1977–1978
Number Of Tests:	22
Test Type:	underground shaft, tunnel
Max Yield:	150ktTNT
Next Series:	Operation Quicksilver

The United States's Cresset nuclear test series was a group of 22 nuclear tests conducted in 1977–1978. These tests ^[1] followed the Operation Fulcrum series and preceded the Operation Quicksilver series.

United States' Cresset series tests and detonations
- !style="background:#ffdead;"	Name ^[2] !style="background:#efefef;"	Date time (UT) !style="background:#ffdead;"	Local time zone^[3] ^[4] !style="background:#efefef;"	Location^[5] !style="background:#ffdead;"	Elevation + height ^[6] !style="background:#efefef;"	Delivery ^[7] Purpose ^[8] !style="background:#efefef;"	Device^[9] !style="background:#ffdead;"	Yield^[10] !style="background:#efefef;" class="unsortable"	Fallout^[11] !style="background:#ffdead;" class="unsortable"	References !style="background:#efefef;" class="unsortable"	Notes	- ! Bobstay	14:15:00.08	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U3jb 37.0076°N -116.0174°W	1180m (3,870feet) – 381.3m (1,251feet)	underground shaft, weapons development			I-131 venting detected, 3E-06Ci			- ! Hybla Gold	18:06:00.07	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U12e.20 37.1877°N -116.2138°W	2239m (7,346feet) – 384.99m (1,263.09feet)	tunnel, weapon effect			I-131 venting detected, 0		Shot to test the MX missile shallow buried trench basing concept to see if a nearby nuclear fireball would cause the trench to act as a shock tube.	- ! Sandreef	22:00:00.075	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U7aq 37.0722°N -116.0512°W	1221m (4,006feet) – 700.74m (2,299.02feet)	underground shaft, weapons development						- ! Seamount	19:30:00.077	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U3kp 37.0206°N -116.0258°W	1186m (3,891feet) - 370.09m (1,214.21feet)	underground shaft, weapons development						- ! Rib	15:00:00.17	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U3jv 37.0175°N -116.0186°W	1184m (3,885feet) – 212.84m (698.29feet)	underground shaft, weapons development						- ! Farallones	15:30:00.07	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U3fa 37.1357°N -116.0866°W	1290m (4,230feet) – 668m (2,192feet)	underground shaft, weapons development			Venting detected, 1Ci			- ! Campos	21:53:00.162	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U9cp 37.1261°N -116.0326°W	1269m (4,163feet) – 319.6m (1,048.6feet)	underground shaft, weapons development			Venting detected, 1.3kCi			- ! Reblochon	17:00:00.164	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U2en 37.1236°N -116.0647°W	1261m (4,137feet) – 658.4m (2,160.1feet)	underground shaft, weapons development			Venting detected, 36Ci			- ! Karab	15:00:00.07	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U4ah 37.0851°N -116.0825°W	1247m (4,091feet) – 331m (1,086feet)	underground shaft, weapons development			Venting detected			- ! Iceberg	16:30:00.2	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U4g 37.1018°N -116.0524°W	1239m (4,065feet) – 640.29m (2,100.69feet)	underground shaft, weapons development						- ! Topmast	16:30:00.114	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U7ay 37.0988°N -116.0205°W	1282m (4,206feet) – 457.81m (1,502feet)	underground shaft, weapons development						- ! Backbeach	17:45:00.073	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U19x 37.2334°N -116.3694°W	2040m (6,690feet) – 671.78m (2,204feet)	underground shaft, weapons development						- ! Asco	14:35:00.162	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U10bc 37.1545°N -116.0356°W	1285m (4,216feet) – 183m (600feet)	underground shaft, safety experiment						- ! Transom	15:00:00.07	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U4f 37.0877°N -116.0535°W	1231m (4,039feet) – 640m (2,100feet)	underground shaft, weapons development					Fizzle? Device destroyed by Quicksilver/Hearts detonation on 1979.	- ! Jackpots	17:00:00.075	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U3kj 37.0206°N -116.0327°W	1186m (3,891feet) – 304.22m (998.1feet)	underground shaft, weapons development						- ! Satz	14:00:00.167	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U2dq 37.1119°N -116.078°W	1263m (4,144feet) – 315m (1,033feet)	underground shaft, weapons development			Venting detected			- ! Lowball	17:00:00.08	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U7av 37.0786°N -116.0449°W	1225m (4,019feet) – 564.88m (1,853.28feet)	underground shaft, weapons development						- ! Panir	14:00:00.164	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U19ys 37.2759°N -116.3582°W	2013m (6,604feet) – 681m (2,234feet)	underground shaft, weapons development						- ! Diablo Hawk	15:15:00.16	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U12n.10a 37.2088°N -116.2117°W	2212m (7,257feet) – 388m (1,273feet)	tunnel, weapon effect	Weapon effect on W87 warhead			^[12]		- ! Cremino - 1	16:30:00.165	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U8e 37.171°N -116.088°W	1341m (4,400feet) – 210m (690feet)	underground shaft, weapons development					Simultaneous, same hole.	- ! Cremino-Caerphilly - 2	16:30:00.17	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U8e 37.171°N -116.088°W	1341m (4,400feet) +	underground shaft, weapons development					Simultaneous, same hole.	- ! Draughts	17:00:00.071	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U7al 37.0738°N -116.0207°W	1234m (4,049feet) – 441.59m (1,448.79feet)	underground shaft, weapons development						- ! Rummy	17:20:00.076	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area U7au 37.0797°N -116.0525°W	1226m (4,022feet) – 639.78m (2,099.02feet)	underground shaft, weapons development

Notes and References

A bomb test may be a salvo test, defined as two or more explosions "where a period of time between successive individual explosions does not exceed 5 seconds and where the burial points of all explosive devices can be connected by segments of straight lines, each of them connecting two burial points and does not exceed 40 kilometers in length". V. N., Editor in Chief. Mikhailov. Catalog of World Wide Nuclear Testing. Begell-Atom, LLC. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140426102201/http://www.iss-atom.ru/ksenia/catal_nt/1.htm. April 26, 2014.
The US, France and Great Britain have code-named their test events, while the USSR and China did not, and therefore have only test numbers (with some exceptions - Soviet peaceful explosions were named). Word translations into English in parentheses unless the name is a proper noun. A dash followed by a number indicates a member of a salvo event. The US also sometimes named the individual explosions in such a salvo test, which results in "name1 - 1(with name2)". If test is canceled or aborted, then the row data like date and location discloses the intended plans, where known.
To convert the UT time into standard local, add the number of hours in parentheses to the UT time; for local daylight saving time, add one additional hour. If the result is earlier than 00:00, add 24 hours and subtract 1 from the day; if it is 24:00 or later, subtract 24 hours and add 1 to the day. Historical time zone data obtained from the IANA time zone database.
Web site: Time Zone Historical Database. iana.com. March 8, 2014.
Rough place name and a latitude/longitude reference; for rocket-carried tests, the launch location is specified before the detonation location, if known. Some locations are extremely accurate; others (like airdrops and space blasts) may be quite inaccurate. "~" indicates a likely pro-forma rough location, shared with other tests in that same area.
Elevation is the ground level at the point directly below the explosion relative to sea level; height is the additional distance added or subtracted by tower, balloon, shaft, tunnel, air drop or other contrivance. For rocket bursts the ground level is "N/A". In some cases it is not clear if the height is absolute or relative to ground, for example, Plumbbob/John. No number or units indicates the value is unknown, while "0" means zero. Sorting on this column is by elevation and height added together.
Atmospheric, airdrop, balloon, gun, cruise missile, rocket, surface, tower, and barge are all disallowed by the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Sealed shaft and tunnel are underground, and remained useful under the PTBT. Intentional cratering tests are borderline; they occurred under the treaty, were sometimes protested, and generally overlooked if the test was declared to be a peaceful use.
Include weapons development, weapon effects, safety test, transport safety test, war, science, joint verification and industrial/peaceful, which may be further broken down.
Designations for test items where known, "?" indicates some uncertainty about the preceding value, nicknames for particular devices in quotes. This category of information is often not officially disclosed.
Estimated energy yield in tons, kilotons, and megatons. A ton of TNT equivalent is defined as 4.184 gigajoules (1 gigacalorie).
Radioactive emission to the atmosphere aside from prompt neutrons, where known. The measured species is only iodine-131 if mentioned, otherwise it is all species. No entry means unknown, probably none if underground and "all" if not; otherwise notation for whether measured on the site only or off the site, where known, and the measured amount of radioactivity released.
Book: Broad. William J.. Star warriors : a penetrating look into the lives of the young scientists behind our space age weaponry. 1985. Simon and Schuster. New York. 0671545663. 109.