Operation Sculpin

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Series of 1990s US nuclear tests

title: "Operation Sculpin" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["explosions-in-1990", "explosions-in-1991", "1990-in-military-history", "1991-in-military-history", "nevada-test-site-nuclear-explosive-tests"] description: "Series of 1990s US nuclear tests" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Sculpin" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Series of 1990s US nuclear tests ::

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

Field	Value
name	Sculpin
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	1990–1991
number_of_tests	7
test_type	underground shaft, tunnel
max_yield	140 ktTNT
previous_series	Operation Aqueduct
next_series	Operation Julin
::

The United States's Sculpin nuclear test series followed the Operation Aqueduct series and preceded the Operation Julin series.

Shots

Distant Zenith

Shot Distant Zenith included the experiment Hydroplus. The Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) developed a means of verifying non-standard nuclear tests using ground peak stress and velocity at several ranges from a possible detonation point using computer hydrocodes. These codes required calibration data which was gathered at Distant Zenith. Further Hydroplus experiments were conducted in shot Hunters Trophy of Operation Julin.

Full list of shots

::data[format=table title="United States' Sculpin 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 | TenaboTenabo | Coso-Bronze - 1Coso-Bronze | Coso-Gray - 2Coso-Gray | Coso-Silver - 3Coso-Silver | BexarBexar | MontelloMontello | FloydadaFloydada | HoyaHoya | Distant ZenithDistant Zenith | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 17:30:00.08 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U20bb | 1871 m–600 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | Venting detected | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 21:02:45.08 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U4an | 1254 m–333 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | Simultaneous, same drifts. | | | | | | | | | | | | 21:02:45.08 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U4an | 1254 m + | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | Simultaneous, same drifts. | | | | | | | | | | | | 21:02:45.08 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U4an | 1254 m + | underground shaft, safety experiment | | | | | Simultaneous, same drifts. | | | | | | | | | | | | 19:00:00.0 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U19ba | 2118 m–629.4 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | Venting detected, 0.5 Ci | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15:30:00.071 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U20bf | 1961 m–641.6 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 16:00:00.0 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U7cb | 1280 m–502.9 m | underground shaft, weapons development | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 19:00:00.005 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U20be | 1951 m–658 m | underground shaft, weapon effect | | | | | Treaty verification test. | | | | | | | | | | | | 15:30:00.067 | PST (–8 hrs) | NTS Area U12p.04 | 1921 m–263.8 m | tunnel, weapon effect | | | Venting detected, 0.4 Ci | | publisher = Defense Nuclear Agency| pages = | last1 = Gaffney| first1 = Edward S| last2 = Smith| first2 = Eric A| title = Hydroplus Experimental Study of Dry, Saturated and Frozen Geological Materials| url = https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA278837.pdf| conference = | access-date = November 6, 2021| archive-date = November 6, 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211106081417/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA278837.pdf| url-status = live}} | | | | | | | | | | | ::

Gallery

References

Mikhailov, V. N.. "Catalog of World Wide Nuclear Testing". Begell-Atom.
"Time Zone Historical Database". iana.com.
"Hydroplus Experimental Study of Dry, Saturated and Frozen Geological Materials". Defense Nuclear Agency.
(August 2000). "CMR Nuclear Explosion Database (Revision 3)". SMDC Monitoring Research.
(July 1, 1994). "Official list of underground nuclear explosions". Sandia National Laboratories.
(August 1996). "Radiological Effluents Released from U.S. Continental Tests 1961 Through 1992 (DOE/NV-317 Rev. 1)". DOE Nevada Operations Office.
(December 1, 2000). "United States Nuclear Tests: July 1945 through September 1992". Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office.
(September 25, 1998). "Estimates of yield for nuclear tests impacting the groundwater at the Nevada Test Site". Nuclear Science and Technology Division.

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