Operation Cornerstone

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Series of 1980s US nuclear tests

title: "Operation Cornerstone" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["explosions-in-1988", "explosions-in-1989", "nevada-test-site-nuclear-explosive-tests", "1988-in-military-history", "1989-in-military-history", "1988-in-nevada", "1989-in-nevada", "1988-in-the-environment", "1989-in-the-environment"] description: "Series of 1980s US nuclear tests" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cornerstone" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Series of 1980s US nuclear tests ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox nuclear weapons test"]

FieldValue
nameCornerstone
countryUnited States
test_siteNTS Area 12, Rainier Mesa; NTS Area 19, 20, Pahute Mesa; NTS, Areas 1–4, 6–10, Yucca Flat
period1988–1989
number_of_tests11
test_typeunderground shaft, tunnel
max_yield150 ktTNT
previous_seriesOperation Touchstone
next_seriesOperation Aqueduct
::

|name = Cornerstone |picture = |picture_description = |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 = 1988–1989 |number_of_tests = 11 |test_type = underground shaft, tunnel |max_yield = 150 ktTNT |previous_series = Operation Touchstone |next_series = Operation Aqueduct

The United States's Cornerstone nuclear test series followed the Operation Touchstone series and preceded the Operation Aqueduct series.

::data[format=table title="United States' Cornerstone series tests and detonations"] | Name 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. | Date time (UT) | Local time zoneTo 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. | LocationRough 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 + height 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. | Delivery 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. Purpose Include weapons development, weapon effects, safety test, transport safety test, war, science, joint verification and industrial/peaceful, which may be further broken down. | DeviceDesignations 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. | YieldEstimated energy yield in tons, kilotons, and megatons. A ton of TNT equivalent is defined as 4.184 gigajoules (1 gigacalorie). | FalloutRadioactive 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. | References | Notes | DalhartDalhart | Monahans - 1Monahans | Monahans - 2Monahans | Kawich Blue - 4Kawich Blue | Kawich White - 3Kawich White | Misty EchoMisty Echo | TexarkanaTexarkana | Kawich Black - 1Kawich Black | Kawich Red - 2Kawich Red | IngotIngot | Palisade - 1Palisade | Palisade - 2Palisade | Palisade - 3Palisade | TuliaTulia | ContactContact | AmarilloAmarillo | Disko ElmDisko Elm | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 14:00:00.08 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U4u | 1229 m – 639.78 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 20:15:00.08 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U3lk | 1175 m – 289.86 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | Simultaneous, separate holes. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 20:15:00.08 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U6i | 1174 m + | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | Simultaneous, separate holes. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15:15:00.08 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U8n | 1357 m + | underground shaft, safety experiment | | | | | Simultaneous, same hole with white. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15:15:00.08 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U8n | 1357 m – 384 m | underground shaft, safety experiment | | | | | Simultaneous, same hole with blue. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 20:30:00.06 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U12n.23 | 2232 m – 400 m | tunnel, weapon effect | | | Venting detected, 7 Ci | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 20:06:00.055 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U7ca | 1267 m – 504.02 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 16:15:00.08 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U2cu | 1352 m – 431 m | underground shaft, safety experiment | | | Venting detected | | Simultaneous, same hole with red. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 16:15:00.081 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U2cu | 1352 m – 370 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | Venting detected, 10 Ci | | Simultaneous, same hole with black. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 14:05:00.086 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U2gg | 1280 m – 500 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 13:10:00.087 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U4at | 1338 m – 345.22 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | Venting detected, 2 Ci | | Simultaneous, same hole. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 13:10:00.09 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U4at | 1338 m – 392 m | underground shaft, safety experiment | | | Venting detected | | Simultaneous, same hole. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 13:10:00.09 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U4at | 1338 m – 404 m | underground shaft, safety experiment | | | Venting detected | | Simultaneous, same hole. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 18:07:00.021 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U4s | 1230 m – 397.8 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 21:15:00.83 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U20aw | 1980 m – 544.1 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15:30:00.02 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U19ay | 2019 m – 640.1 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15:00:00.098 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U12p.03 | 1917 m – 260 m | tunnel, weapon effect | | | Venting detected, 0.5 Ci | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ::

Gallery

| title = Operation Cornerstone | align = | footer = | style = | state = | height = | width = | captionstyle = | File:434-SAN-A880235.jpg | alt1= | Scale mockup of Shot Misty Echo. | File:434-SAN-A880933.jpg | alt2= | Instrumentation for shot Misty Echo. | File:434-SAN-A880939.jpg | alt3= | Instrumentation for shot Misty Echo | File:U12N MISTY ECHO, NEVADA TEST SITE - DPLA - 9e02c854f4da7892b0ab0e248be04ac3.jpg | alt4= | Instrumentation for shot Misty Echo. | File:DISKO ELM-TC-1 EXPERIMENTS, NEVADA TEST SITE - DPLA - ba184dcd245c456b8a8268edc380fe9f.jpg | alt5= | Experiments for shot Disko Elm. |File:434-SAN-A890345.jpg |alt6= |Data produced by an unknown instrument during shot Misty Echo. |File:434-SAN-A890360.jpg |alt7= |Arming and Firing (A&F) racks for shot Palisade.

References

References

  1. Mikhailov, V. N.. "Catalog of World Wide Nuclear Testing". Begell-Atom.
  2. "Time Zone Historical Database". iana.com.
  3. (August 2000). "CMR Nuclear Explosion Database (Revision 3)". SMDC Monitoring Research.
  4. (July 1, 1994). "Official list of underground nuclear explosions". Sandia National Laboratories.
  5. (September 25, 1998). "Estimates of yield for nuclear tests impacting the groundwater at the Nevada Test Site". Nuclear Science and Technology Division.
  6. (1982). "Operation Argus, 1958". Defense Nuclear Agency, Department of Defense.
  7. (December 1, 2000). "United States Nuclear Tests: July 1945 through September 1992". Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office.
  8. (February 1, 1994). "United States nuclear tests, July 1945 to 31 December 1992 (NWD 94-1)". Natural Resources Defense Council.
  9. (August 1996). "Radiological Effluents Released from U.S. Continental Tests 1961 Through 1992 (DOE/NV-317 Rev. 1)". DOE Nevada Operations Office.

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explosions-in-1988explosions-in-1989nevada-test-site-nuclear-explosive-tests1988-in-military-history1989-in-military-history1988-in-nevada1989-in-nevada1988-in-the-environment1989-in-the-environment