Operation Emery

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Series of 1970s US nuclear tests

title: "Operation Emery" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["explosions-in-1970", "explosions-in-1971", "nevada-test-site-nuclear-explosive-tests", "1970-in-military-history", "1971-in-military-history", "1970-in-nevada", "1971-in-nevada", "1971-in-the-environment"] description: "Series of 1970s US nuclear tests" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Emery" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Series of 1970s US nuclear tests ::

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

FieldValue
nameOperation Emery
picture[[File:Emery_Baneberry.gif
picture_descriptionUnexpected venting from the Baneberry nuclear test
countryUnited States
test_site{{plainlist
period1970–1971
number_of_tests16
test_typeunderground shaft, tunnel
max_yield220 ktTNT
previous_seriesOperation Mandrel
next_seriesOperation Grommet
::

|name = Operation Emery |picture = [[File:Emery_Baneberry.gif|300px]] |picture_description = Unexpected venting from the Baneberry nuclear test |country = United States |test_site = {{plainlist|

  • NTS Area 12, Rainier Mesa
  • NTS, Areas 1–4, 6–10, Yucca Flat}} |period = 1970–1971 |number_of_tests = 16 |test_type = underground shaft, tunnel |max_yield = 220 ktTNT |previous_series = Operation Mandrel |next_series = Operation Grommet

The United States's Emery nuclear test series followed the Operation Mandrel series and preceded the Operation Grommet series.

The underground Baneberry test vented into the atmosphere. For descriptions, see Yucca Flat#Baneberry and List of military nuclear accidents#1970s

::data[format=table title="United States' Emery 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, or 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 | Scree-Acajou - 1Scree-Acajou | Scree-Alhambra - 2Scree-Alhambra | Scree-Chamois - 3Scree-Chamois | TijerasTijeras | Truchas-Chacon - 1Truchas-Chacon | Truchas-Chamisal - 2Truchas-Chamisal | Truchas-Rodarte - 3Truchas-Rodarte | AbeytasAbeytas | PenascoPenasco | Carrizozo - 1 (with Corazon)Carrizozo | Corazon - 2 (with Corrizozo)Corazon | ArtesiaArtesia | Avens-Alkermes - 2Avens-Alkermes | Avens-Andorre - 1Avens-Andorre | Avens-Asamite - 3Avens-Asamite | Avens-Cream - 4Avens-Cream | CanjilonCanjilon | CarpetbagCarpetbag | BaneberryBaneberry | EmbudoEmbudo | DexterDexter | LagunaLaguna | HarebellHarebell | CamphorCamphor | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 15:05:00.02 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U9itsx24 | 1269 m – 249.33 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | Venting detected on site, 11 Ci | | Simultaneous, separate holes. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15:05:00.02 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U9itsz21 | 1273 m – 192 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | Venting detected on site | | Simultaneous, separate holes. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15:05:00.02 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U9itsz24 | 1275 m + | underground shaft, safety experiment | | | Venting detected on site | | Simultaneous, separate holes. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 14:30:00.04 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U7y | 1249 m – 560.62 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 14:30:00.03 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U3hn | 1182 m – 118.38 m | underground shaft, safety experiment | | | Venting detected on site | | Simultaneous, separate holes. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 14:30:00.04 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U3ho | 1182 m – 118 m | underground shaft, safety experiment | | | Venting detected on site, 3 Ci | | Simultaneous, separate holes. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 14:30:00.04 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U3hm | 1183 m + | underground shaft, weapons development | | | Venting detected on site | | Simultaneous, separate holes. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15:00:00.04 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U3gx | 1188 m – 393.46 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15:00:00.04 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U3hl | 1183 m – 270.92 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15:07:00.0 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U3hr | 1183 m + | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15:07:00.04 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U3ha | 1180 m – 241.12 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 16:00:00.09 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U7x | 1302 m – 484.83 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 16:00:00.17 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U9itsu24 | 1262 m + | underground shaft, weapons development | | | Venting detected on site | | Simultaneous, separate holes. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 16:00:00.17 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U9itst28 | 1264 m + | underground shaft, weapons development | | | Venting detected on site | | Simultaneous, separate holes. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 16:00:00.17 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U9itsw21 | 1264 m + | underground shaft, weapons development | | | Venting detected on site | | Simultaneous, separate holes. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 16:00:00.17 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U9itsx29 | 1271 m – 292.91 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | Venting detected on site, 66 Ci | | Simultaneous, separate holes. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 16:00:00.05 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U3fq | 1227 m – 302.19 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 16:05:00.16 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U2dg | 1284 m – 661.42 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | Venting detected, 5 Ci | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15:30:00.2 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U8d | 1367 m – 277.98 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | Venting detected off site, 6.7 MCi | | 6-month moratorium caused by 6.7 MCi escaped radioactivity in this test. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 14:50:00.04 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U3hd | 1191 m – 303.06 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 14:00:00.04 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U3hs | 1182 m – 119.94 m | underground shaft, safety experiment | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15:30:00.04 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U3fd | 1186 m – 454.92 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 14:00:00.16 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U2br | 1287 m – 518.77 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | Venting detected, 840 Ci | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 18:30:00.16 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U12g.10 | 2289 m – 423.67 m | tunnel, weapon effect | | | Venting detected on site, 220 Ci | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ::

References

References

  1. Mikhailov, V. N., Editor in Chief. "Catalog of World Wide Nuclear Testing". Begell-Atom, LLC.
  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. (February 1, 1994). "United States nuclear tests, July 1945 to 31 December 1992 (NWD 94-1)". Natural Resources Defense Council.
  6. (August 1996). "Radiological Effluents Released from U.S. Continental Tests 1961 Through 1992 (DOE/NV-317 Rev. 1)". DOE Nevada Operations Office.
  7. (1997). "Estimated exposures and thyroid doses received by the American people from Iodine-131 in fallout following Nevada atmospheric nuclear bomb tests, Chapter 2". National Cancer Institute.
  8. (December 1, 2000). "United States Nuclear Tests: July 1945 through September 1992". Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office.
  9. (1982). "Operation Argus, 1958". Defense Nuclear Agency, Department of Defense.
  10. Bolt, Bruce A.. (1976). "Nuclear Explosions and Earthquakes: The Parted Veil". W.H. Freeman and Co..
  11. (September 25, 1998). "Estimates of yield for nuclear tests impacting the groundwater at the Nevada Test Site". Nuclear Science and Technology Division.
  12. Sublette, Carey. "Nuclear Weapons Archive".

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explosions-in-1970explosions-in-1971nevada-test-site-nuclear-explosive-tests1970-in-military-history1971-in-military-history1970-in-nevada1971-in-nevada1971-in-the-environment