Operation Guardian
| Guardian | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| 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 | 1980–1981 |
| Number of tests | 14 |
| Test type | underground shaft, tunnel |
| Max. yield | 140 kilotonnes of TNT (590 TJ) |
| Test series chronology | |
Operation Guardian was a series of 14 nuclear tests conducted by the United States in 1980–1981 at the Nevada Test Site. These tests followed the Operation Tinderbox series and preceded the Operation Praetorian series.
| Name | Date time (UT) | Local time zone | Location | Elevation + height | Delivery Purpose |
Device | Yield | Fallout | References | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miners Iron | October 31, 1980 18:00:00.09 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U12n.11 37°12′40″N 116°12′23″W / 37.21121°N 116.20626°W | 2,212 m (7,257 ft) – 389.5 m (1,278 ft) | tunnel, weapon effect |
10 kt | Venting detected, 0.3 Ci (11 GBq) | |||
| Dauphin | November 14, 1980 16:50:00.084 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U9cq 37°06′41″N 116°01′10″W / 37.11144°N 116.01952°W | 1,306 m (4,285 ft) – 320 m (1,050 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
Experimental test for nuclear pumped x-ray laser | 2 kt | |||
| Baseball | January 15, 1981 20:25:00.09 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U7ba 37°05′12″N 116°02′45″W / 37.08675°N 116.04585°W | 1,232 m (4,042 ft) – 563.88 m (1,850.0 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
W76 | 99 kt | Stockpile confidence test | ||
| Clairette | February 5, 1981 18:00:00.117 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U3kr 37°00′39″N 116°01′58″W / 37.01088°N 116.03291°W | 1,182 m (3,878 ft) – 353.6 m (1,160 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
W80 | less than 20 kt | W80 low temperature test. Fizzled | ||
| Seco | February 25, 1981 15:00:00.082 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U8l 37°10′55″N 116°05′06″W / 37.18185°N 116.08512°W | 1,356 m (4,449 ft) – 200 m (660 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
less than 20 kt | ||||
| Vide | April 30, 1981 14:35:00.084 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U8k 37°10′38″N 116°05′08″W / 37.17731°N 116.08567°W | 1,346 m (4,416 ft) – 323 m (1,060 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
less than 20 kt | Venting detected, 3 Ci (110 GBq) | |||
| Aligote | May 29, 1981 16:00:00.094 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U7bg 37°06′06″N 116°00′18″W / 37.1018°N 116.00493°W | 1,311 m (4,301 ft) – 320 m (1,050 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
2.5 kt | ||||
| Harzer | June 6, 1981 18:00:00.084 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U19aj 37°18′12″N 116°19′35″W / 37.30334°N 116.32648°W | 2,073 m (6,801 ft) – 637 m (2,090 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
140 kt | ||||
| Niza | July 10, 1981 14:00:00.096 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U9cr 37°07′43″N 116°02′05″W / 37.12856°N 116.03464°W | 1,266 m (4,154 ft) – 341 m (1,119 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
4 kt | I-131 venting detected, 0 | |||
| Pineau | July 16, 1981 15:00:00.096 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U7ao 37°05′19″N 116°01′13″W / 37.08865°N 116.02024°W | 1,259 m (4,131 ft) – 207.26 m (680.0 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
less than 20 kt | ||||
| Havarti | August 5, 1981 13:41:00.086 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U10bg 37°09′13″N 116°02′09″W / 37.15369°N 116.03594°W | 1,283 m (4,209 ft) – 200 m (660 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
less than 20 kt | I-131 venting detected, 0 | |||
| Islay | August 27, 1981 14:31:00.088 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U2er 37°09′37″N 116°04′03″W / 37.16038°N 116.06743°W | 1,297 m (4,255 ft) – 294 m (965 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
4 kt | Venting detected, 700 Ci (26,000 GBq) | |||
| Trebbiano | September 4, 1981 15:00:00.103 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U3lj 37°03′29″N 116°02′56″W / 37.05806°N 116.04894°W | 1,211 m (3,973 ft) – 305.4 m (1,002 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
1 kt | Venting detected, 200 Ci (7,400 GBq) | |||
| Cernada | September 24, 1981 15:00:00.089 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U3kk 37°00′31″N 116°01′28″W / 37.00851°N 116.02453°W | 1,181 m (3,875 ft) – 213.2 m (699 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
less than 20 kt |