Operation Touchstone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Touchstone |
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|---|---|
| Information | |
| Country | United States |
| Period | 1987–1988 |
| Number of tests | 13 |
| Test type | underground shaft, tunnel |
| Max. yield | 150 kilotonnes of TNT (630 TJ) |
The United States's Touchstone nuclear test series was a group of 13 nuclear tests conducted in 1987–1988. These tests followed the Operation Musketeer series and preceded the Operation Cornerstone series.
The series included Touchstone Kearsarge, a joint US-Soviet test as part of the Joint Verification Experiment (JVE). The JVE's purpose was to provide yield data to both parties about each other's nuclear test sites so that accurate remote measurements could be taken to verify each other's compliance with the Threshold Test Ban Treaty.
List of the nuclear tests
| Name | Date time (UT) | Local time zone | Location | Elevation + height | Delivery Purpose |
Device | Yield | Fallout | References | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borate | October 23, 1987 16:00:00.09 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U2ge 37°08′31″N 116°04′46″W / 37.14185°N 116.07957°W | 1,294 m (4,245 ft) – 542.5 m (1,780 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
38 kt | I-131 venting detected, 0 | |||
| Waco | December 1, 1987 16:30:00.09 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U3lu 36°59′47″N 116°00′19″W / 36.99636°N 116.00533°W | 1,176 m (3,858 ft) – 182.9 m (600 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
less than 20 kt | ||||
| Mission Cyber | December 2, 1987 16:00:00.084 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U12p.02 37°14′05″N 116°09′51″W / 37.2346°N 116.16425°W | 1,926 m (6,319 ft) – 270.6 m (888 ft) | tunnel, weapon effect |
2 kt | ||||
| Kernville | February 15, 1988 18:10:00.089 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U20ar 37°18′52″N 116°28′21″W / 37.31431°N 116.47253°W | 1,899 m (6,230 ft) – 541.6 m (1,777 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
60 kt | ||||
| Abilene | April 7, 1988 17:15:00.078 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U3mn 37°00′47″N 116°02′43″W / 37.01311°N 116.04519°W | 1,187 m (3,894 ft) – 245.06 m (804.0 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
2 kt | ||||
| Schellbourne | May 13, 1988 15:35:00.108 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U2gf 37°07′28″N 116°04′23″W / 37.12439°N 116.073°W | 1,268 m (4,160 ft) – 463 m (1,519 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
16 kt | Venting detected, 22 Ci (810 GBq) | |||
| Laredo | May 21, 1988 22:30:00.14 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U3mh 37°01′57″N 115°59′17″W / 37.03245°N 115.98814°W | 1,220 m (4,000 ft) – 351.4 m (1,153 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
3.5 kt | ||||
| Comstock | June 2, 1988 13:00:00.088 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U20ay 37°15′36″N 116°26′31″W / 37.26008°N 116.44197°W | 1,960 m (6,430 ft) – 620.3 m (2,035 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
80 kt | Venting detected | |||
| Nightingale - 2 (with Rhyolite) | June 22, 1988 14:00:00.079 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U2ey 37°09′58″N 116°04′23″W / 37.16611°N 116.07312°W | 1,309 m (4,295 ft) – 237.7 m (780 ft) | underground shaft, safety experiment |
less than 150 kt | Simultaneous, separate holes. | |||
| Rhyolite - 1 (with Nightengale) | June 22, 1988 14:00:00.079 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U2ey 37°09′58″N 116°04′23″W / 37.16611°N 116.07312°W | 1,309 m (4,295 ft) – 207.3 m (680 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
less than 150 kt | Simultaneous, separate holes. | |||
| Alamo | July 7, 1988 15:05:30.07 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U19au 37°15′09″N 116°22′39″W / 37.25239°N 116.37756°W | 1,964 m (6,444 ft) – 622.1 m (2,041 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
150 kt | ||||
| Kearsarge | August 17, 1988 17:00:00.095 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U19ax 37°17′50″N 116°18′27″W / 37.2971°N 116.30742°W | 2,102 m (6,896 ft) – 615.7 m (2,020 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
140 kt | The American part of the Joint Verification Experiment. | |||
| Harlingen - 1 | August 23, 1988 18:30:00.08 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U6g 36°59′28″N 116°01′08″W / 36.99113°N 116.01887°W | 1,175 m (3,855 ft) – 289.6 m (950 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
2 kt | Simultaneous, separate holes. | |||
| Harlingen - 2 | August 23, 1988 18:30:00.08 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U6h 36°59′19″N 116°01′08″W / 36.98868°N 116.01876°W | 1,175 m (3,855 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
less than 20 kt | Simultaneous, separate holes. | |||
| Bullfrog | August 30, 1988 18:00:00.089 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area U4au 37°05′09″N 116°04′09″W / 37.08593°N 116.06925°W | 1,236 m (4,055 ft) – 489.2 m (1,605 ft) | underground shaft, weapons development |
33 kt | Venting detected, 4 Ci (150 GBq) |
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Operation Touchstone Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.