Frenchman Flat facts for kids
Frenchman Flat is a large, flat area in the desert of Nevada. It's part of the Nevada National Security Site, which is a special place where the United States used to test nuclear weapons. This flat area has a big dry lake bed, about 15 square kilometers (6 square miles) wide, called Frenchman Lake. A dry lake bed is a lake that usually has no water.
Before it was used for tests, the dry lake bed was an airstrip in the 1950s. After the Korean War began, it was chosen for nuclear testing. Land from Nellis Air Force Base was given to the United States Atomic Energy Commission, which was in charge of nuclear energy. They built a support site called Site Mercury here.
The first nuclear test in the continental United States after the very first one (called Trinity in 1945) happened at Frenchman Flat in 1951. This test was part of something called Operation Ranger. Frenchman Flat was also the only place where the U.S. tested a nuclear weapon fired from a special artillery cannon. This happened in 1953 during the Upshot-Knothole Grable test, using the M65 Atomic Cannon.
Contents
Area 5: Testing and Waste Management
Area 5 covers about 95 square miles (246 square kilometers) in the southeastern part of the Nevada Test Site. It is located north of the town of Mercury. This area includes places for managing radioactive waste and hazardous materials.
Between 1951 and 1962, 14 nuclear tests were done above ground at Frenchman Flat. Some of these tests were designed to see how buildings would be affected by nuclear blasts. For example, a relatively small 8-kiloton blast in January 1951 was strong enough to break storefront windows in Las Vegas.
You can still see the remains of buildings used in these tests, which are important for history. From 1965 to 1968, five nuclear weapons were tested underground at Frenchman Flat. However, this area has a lot of carbonate rock, which makes it less suitable for underground testing. Because of this, fewer underground tests happened here.
Managing Radioactive Waste
The Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site is a large section of desert land, about 732 acres (296 hectares). It is used for safely disposing of low-level radioactive waste. This includes different types of waste, even some that contains transuranic elements (elements heavier than uranium).
Testing Hazardous Materials
The Nonproliferation Test and Evaluation Complex (NPTEC) is also located in Area 5 on Frenchman Flat. It used to be called the Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) Spill Center. This facility is the largest in the world for testing hazardous materials and biological substances outdoors.
The NPTEC has a control building where scientists can collect data and control experiments. The test area includes large tanks, a wind tunnel, and special areas for spilling chemicals. This facility allows for both large and small-scale tests of hazardous materials. It also provides a safe place for training people who respond to hazardous spills.
Area 11: Safety Tests
Area 11 covers about 26 square miles (67 square kilometers) along the eastern edge of the Nevada Test Site. In 1954 and 1956, four atmospheric tests were conducted in the northern part of Area 11. These were safety tests that involved dispersing plutonium.
Even today, hazardous materials from these tests remain in the area. This makes Area 11 a realistic place for safety training. People can practice radiological monitoring, learn how to collect samples, and train as first responders. Five underground nuclear weapons were also tested in Area 11 between 1966 and 1971.
