Sedan (nuclear test) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Storax Sedan |
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Storax Sedan explosion.
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| Information | |
| Country | United States |
| Test series | Operation Storax Operation Plowshare |
| Test site | Nevada Test Site |
| Date | July 6, 1962 |
| Test type | Underground |
| Yield | 104 kt |
Storax Sedan was a special kind of nuclear test done by the United States. It happened deep underground on July 6, 1962, at the Nevada Test Site. This test was part of a project called Operation Plowshare.
Operation Plowshare wanted to see if nuclear weapons could be used for peaceful things. This included digging big holes for mines, canals, or even harbors. The Storax Sedan test created the largest human-made hole in the United States. This huge hole is now called the Sedan Crater.
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What Happened During the Test?
The Storax Sedan test used a powerful nuclear device. This device was placed in a deep hole, about 194 meters (636 feet) underground. When it exploded, it had the power of 104 kilotons of TNT. That's like 104,000 tons of dynamite!
The explosion lifted a huge dome of earth, about 90 meters (295 feet) high. Then, it burst open, pushing out more than 11 million tons of soil. This created the massive Sedan Crater. The crater is about 100 meters (328 feet) deep and 390 meters (1,280 feet) wide.
The blast also caused strong ground shaking. It was like an earthquake measuring 4.75 on the Richter scale. Dust clouds spread out for miles around the test site.
What is Radioactive Fallout?
When a nuclear bomb explodes, it creates tiny radioactive particles. These particles can float in the air and then fall back to Earth. This is called radioactive fallout. It can be harmful to people and the environment.
The Storax Sedan test created two large clouds of radioactive fallout. These clouds rose very high into the sky. They then drifted northeast and east across the United States.
Radioactive fallout from the Sedan test was found in many US states. It was especially high in parts of Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Illinois. The test released a lot of radioactive iodine-131. This substance can affect the thyroid gland in the human body.
In fact, the Storax Sedan test caused more radioactive fallout across the US than almost any other nuclear test. It is considered the second-highest in terms of radiation exposure to people in the country.
The main goal of the Plowshare project was to find new ways to use nuclear explosions. Scientists thought they could use them to dig canals, create harbors, or even build dams. The Sedan test was a big step in understanding if this was possible.
However, after the Sedan test, people realized how much radioactive fallout these explosions created. There were many worries about how this fallout could affect people's health. People also worried about the environment.
Because of these concerns and a lack of public support, the idea of using nuclear bombs for digging was eventually stopped in the United States. No more nuclear excavations like Sedan have been done by the US since then. However, the Soviet Union did continue similar projects, like creating a lake with a nuclear explosion.
A Mix-Up with Sudan
In 2005, a US politician was talking about the Sedan nuclear test. But by mistake, the name "Sedan" was written as "Sudan" in an official document. Sudan is a country in Africa.
When officials in Sudan heard about this, they were very concerned. They thought the US had done a nuclear test in their country. They even thought it might be causing health problems like cancer for their people.
The US embassy quickly explained that it was just a typing error. They made it clear that the test happened in Nevada, not Sudan. Even so, the Sudanese government said they would keep looking into the matter.
See also
In Spanish: Sedan (prueba nuclear) para niños
