Preparation for an underground nuclear test at the Nevada Test Site in the 1980s. Underground nuclear testing refers to test detonations of Nuclear weapons that are performed underground The Nevada Test Site is a United States Department of Energy reservation located in Nye County, Nevada, about 65 miles (105 km northwest of the City of Visible in the photograph are the test monitoring equipment, as well as the subsidence craters created by previous underground nuclear tests.

Nuclear weapons
History of nuclear weapons Nuclear warfare Nuclear arms race Nuclear weapon design Nuclear testing (Underground) Effects of nuclear explosions Delivery systems Nuclear espionage Proliferation / Arsenals
Nuclear-armed countries
United States - Russia - United Kingdom - France - China - India - Israel - Pakistan - North Korea
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Nuclear weapons tests are experiments carried out to determine the effectiveness, yield and explosive capability of nuclear weapons. A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. The history of nuclear weapons chronicles the development of Nuclear weapons. The nuclear Arms race was a competition for supremacy in Nuclear warfare between the United States, the Soviet Union, and their respective Nuclear weapon designs are physical chemical and engineering arrangements that cause the physics package of a nuclear weapon to detonate Underground nuclear testing refers to test detonations of Nuclear weapons that are performed underground The energy released from a nuclear weapon detonated in the Troposphere can be divided into four basic categories Blast &mdash40-50% of total energy Nuclear weapons delivery is the technology and systems used to place a Nuclear weapon at the position of Detonation, on or near its intended target Nuclear espionage is the purposeful giving of state secrets regarding Nuclear weapons to other states without authorization ( Espionage) Nuclear proliferation is a term now used to describe the spread of Nuclear weapons, fissile material and weapons-applicable nuclear technology and information to nations This is a list of Nuclear weapons ordered by state and then type within the states Nations that are known or believed to possess Nuclear weapons are sometimes referred to as the nuclear club. The United States was the first country in the world to develop Nuclear weapons, and is the only country to have used them as actual weapons, Russia possesses the largest stockpile of Weapons of mass destruction in the world The United Kingdom was the third state to test an independently developed Nuclear weapon in October 1952 France is one of the five "Nuclear Weapons States" under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty but is not known to possess or develop any chemical or The People's Republic of China is estimated by the US Government to have an arsenal of about 150 Nuclear weapons as of 1999, which matches India is believed to possess an arsenal of Nuclear weapons and maintains intermediate-range Ballistic missiles to deliver them Israel is widely believed to be the sixth country in the world to develop Nuclear weapons and to be one of four nuclear-armed countries not recognized The Islamic Republic of Pakistan began focusing on nuclear development in January 1972 under the leadership of Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali North Korea claims to possess Nuclear weapons and the CIA asserts that it has a substantial arsenal of Chemical weapons. A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Throughout the twentieth century, most nations that have developed nuclear weapons have tested them. Testing nuclear weapons can yield information about how the weapons work, as well as how the weapons behave under various conditions and how structures behave when subjected to nuclear explosions. Additionally, nuclear testing has often been used as an indicator of scientific and military strength, and many tests have been overtly political in their intention; most nuclear weapons states publicly declared their nuclear status by means of a nuclear test. Nations that are known or believed to possess Nuclear weapons are sometimes referred to as the nuclear club.

The first atomic test was detonated by the United States at the Trinity site on July 16, 1945, with a yield approximately equivalent to 20 kilotons. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Trinity was the first test of technology for a Nuclear weapon. Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Units of mass There are three similar units of Mass called the ton: Long ton (simply ton in countries such as the United The first hydrogen bomb, codenamed "Mike", was tested at the Enewetak atoll in the Marshall Islands on November 1, 1952, also by the United States. The Teller–Ulam design is a Nuclear weapon design which is used in Megaton -range Thermonuclear weapons and is more colloquially referred to as "the Ivy Mike was the codename given to the first US test of a fusion device where a major part of the explosive yield came from fusion Enewetak (or Eniwetok) is an Atoll in the Marshall Islands of the central Pacific Ocean. The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI is a Micronesian nation of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The largest nuclear weapon ever tested was the "Tsar Bomba" of the Soviet Union at Novaya Zemlya on October 30, 1961, with an estimated yield of around 50 megatons. Tsar Bomba (ru Царь-бомба literally " King Bomb" is the Western name for the RDS-220 hydrogen bomb (codenamed "Иван" (Ivan by its The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Novaya Zemlya (Но́вая Земля́ also spelled Novaja Zemlja, lit Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Units of mass There are three similar units of Mass called the ton: Long ton (simply ton in countries such as the United

In 1963, all nuclear and many non-nuclear states signed the Limited Test Ban Treaty, pledging to refrain from testing nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, underwater, or in outer space. The Treaty banning Nuclear Weapon Tests In The Atmosphere In Outer Space And Under Water, often abbreviated as the Partial Test Ban Treaty ( PTBT) The treaty permitted underground nuclear testing. Underground nuclear testing refers to test detonations of Nuclear weapons that are performed underground France continued atmospheric testing until 1974, while China continued up until 1980. The last underground test by the United States was in 1992, the Soviet Union in 1990, the United Kingdom in 1991, and both France and China continued testing until 1996. After adopting the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1996, all of these states have pledged to discontinue all nuclear testing. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT bans all nuclear explosions in all environments for military or civilian purposes Non-signatories India and Pakistan last tested nuclear weapons in 1998. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and

The most recent nuclear test was announced by North Korea on October 9, 2006. North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia, Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. See 2006 North Korean nuclear test for more information. The 2006 North Korean nuclear test was the detonation of a nuclear device conducted on October 9, 2006 by the Democratic People's Republic

Types of nuclear weapons tests

Nuclear weapons tests have historically been broken into categories (by treaties) reflecting the medium or location of the test: atmospheric, underwater, and underground.

Four major types of nuclear testing: 1. atmospheric, 2. underground, 3. Underground nuclear testing refers to test detonations of Nuclear weapons that are performed underground exoatmospheric, and 4. underwater.

• Atmospheric testing designates explosions which take place in or above the atmosphere. Temperature and layers The temperature of the Earth's atmosphere varies with altitude the mathematical relationship between temperature and altitude varies among five Generally these have occurred as devices detonated on towers, balloons, barges, islands, or dropped from airplanes. A limited number of high altitude nuclear explosions have also been conducted, generally fired from rockets. High altitude nuclear explosions have historically been nuclear explosions which take place above altitudes of 50 km still inside the Earth's atmosphere. Nuclear explosions which are close enough to the ground to draw dirt and debris into their mushroom cloud can generate large amounts of nuclear fallout due to irradiation of the debris. A mushroom cloud is a distinctive Mushroom -shaped Cloud of condensed Water vapor or Debris resulting from a very large Explosion. Fallout is the residual radiation hazard from a Nuclear explosion, so named because it "falls out" of the atmosphere into which it is spread during the explosion High altitude nuclear explosions can generate an electromagnetic pulse, and charged particles resulting from the blast can cross hemispheres to create an auroral display. The term electromagnetic pulse ( EMP) has the following meanings Electromagnetic radiation from an Explosion (especially a Nuclear

• Underwater testing results from nuclear devices being detonated underwater, usually moored to a ship or a barge (which is subsequently destroyed by the explosion). An underwater explosion, also known as an UNDEX, is an Explosion beneath the surface of water Tests of this nature have usually been conducted to evaluate the effects of nuclear weapons against naval vessels (such as in Operation Crossroads), or to evaluate potential sea-based nuclear weapons (such as nuclear torpedoes or depth-charges). Operation Crossroads was a series of Nuclear weapon tests conducted by the United States in the summer of 1946 Underwater tests close to the surface can disperse large amounts of radioactive water and steam, contaminating nearby ships or structures.

• Underground testing refers to nuclear tests which are conducted under the surface of the earth, at varying depths. Underground nuclear testing made up the majority of nuclear tests by the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War; other forms of nuclear testing were banned by the Limited Test Ban Treaty in 1963. Underground nuclear testing refers to test detonations of Nuclear weapons that are performed underground Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the The Treaty banning Nuclear Weapon Tests In The Atmosphere In Outer Space And Under Water, often abbreviated as the Partial Test Ban Treaty ( PTBT) When the explosion is fully contained, underground nuclear testing emits a negligible amount of fallout. However, underground nuclear tests can "vent" to the surface, producing considerable amounts of radioactive debris as a consequence. Underground testing can result in seismic activity depending on the yield of the nuclear device and the composition of the medium it is detonated in, and generally result in the creation of subsidence craters. Seismology (from Greek grc σεισμός seismos, "earthquake" and grc -λογία -logia) is the scientific study of Earthquakes The explosive yield of a nuclear weapon is the amount of Energy, called the Yield, discharged when a Nuclear weapon is detonated expressed usually A subsidence crater is a hole or depression left on the surface of an area which has had an underground (usually nuclear) explosion ^[1] In 1976, the United States and the USSR agreed to limit the maximum yield of underground tests to 150 kt with the Threshold Test Ban Treaty. Units of mass There are three similar units of Mass called the ton: Long ton (simply ton in countries such as the United The Treaty on the Limitation of Underground Nuclear Weapon Tests, also known as the Threshold Test Ban Treaty (or TTBT) was signed in July 1974 by the USA

Separately from these designations, nuclear tests are also often categorized by the purpose of the test itself. Tests which are designed to garner information about how (and if) the weapons themselves work are weapons related tests, while tests designed to gain information about the effects of the weapons themselves on structures or organisms are known as weapons effects tests. Additional types of nuclear tests are possible as well (such as nuclear tests which are also part of anti-ballistic missile testing). An anti-ballistic missile (ABM is a Missile designed to counter Ballistic missiles (a missile for Missile defense)

Nuclear-weapons-related testing which purposely results in no yield is known as subcritical testing, referring to the lack of a creation of a critical mass of fissile material. The explosive yield of a nuclear weapon is the amount of Energy, called the Yield, discharged when a Nuclear weapon is detonated expressed usually A critical mass is the smallest amount of Fissile material needed for a sustained Nuclear chain reaction. Additionally, there have been simulations of nuclear tests using conventional explosives (such as the Minor Scale U. Minor Scale was a test conducted by the United States Defense Nuclear Agency (now part of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency) involving the detonation S. test in 1985).

History

The first nuclear test, "Trinity", took place on July 16, 1945. Trinity was the first test of technology for a Nuclear weapon.

The first nuclear test was conducted in Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945, during the Manhattan Project, and given the codename "Trinity". Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar The World War II Manhattan Project developed the first Nuclear weapon (atomic bomb Trinity was the first test of technology for a Nuclear weapon. The test was originally to confirm that the implosion-type nuclear weapon design was feasible, and to give an idea of what the actual size and effects of a nuclear explosion would be before they were used in combat against Japan. Nuclear weapon designs are physical chemical and engineering arrangements that cause the physics package of a nuclear weapon to detonate A nuclear explosion occurs as a result of the rapid release of energy from an intentionally high-speed Nuclear reaction. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. While the test gave a good approximation of many of the explosion's effects, it did not give an appreciable understanding of nuclear fallout, which was not well understood by the project scientists until well after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Fallout is the residual radiation hazard from a Nuclear explosion, so named because it "falls out" of the atmosphere into which it is spread during the explosion The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuclear attacks near the end of World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United States at

The United States conducted six nuclear tests before the Soviet Union developed their first atomic bomb (Joe 1) and tested it on August 29, 1949. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The RDS-1 (РДС-1 also Joe-1, was the USSR's first Nuclear weapon test, named in reference to Joseph Stalin. Events 708 - Copper coins are minted in Japan for the first time (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 708) Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Neither country had very many nuclear weapons to spare at first, and so testing was relatively infrequent (when the U. S. used two weapons for Operation Crossroads in 1946, they were detonating over 20% of their current arsenal). Operation Crossroads was a series of Nuclear weapon tests conducted by the United States in the summer of 1946 However, by the 1950s the United States had established a dedicated test site on its own territory (Nevada Test Site) and were also using a site in the Marshall Islands (Pacific Proving Grounds) for extensive nuclear testing. The Nevada Test Site is a United States Department of Energy reservation located in Nye County, Nevada, about 65 miles (105 km northwest of the City of The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI is a Micronesian nation of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean The Pacific Proving Grounds was the name used to describe a number of sites in the Marshall Islands and a few other sites in the Pacific Ocean, used by the

The early tests were used primarily to discern the military effects of nuclear weapons (Crossroads had involved the effect of nuclear weapons on a navy, and how they functioned underwater) and to test new weapon designs. During the 1950s these included new hydrogen bomb designs, which were tested in the Pacific, and also new and improved fission weapon designs. The Soviet Union also began testing on a limited scale, primarily in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the During the later phases of the Cold War, though, both countries developed accelerated testing programs, testing many hundreds of bombs over the last half of the twentieth century. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the

In 1954 the Castle Bravo fallout plume spread dangerous levels of radiation over an area over 100 miles long, including inhabited islands. Castle Bravo was the Code name given to the first US test of a so-called dry fuel thermonuclear Hydrogen bomb device detonated on March 1,

Nuclear tests can involve many hazards. A number of these were illustrated in the U. S. Castle Bravo test in 1954. Castle Bravo was the Code name given to the first US test of a so-called dry fuel thermonuclear Hydrogen bomb device detonated on March 1, The weapon design tested was a new form of hydrogen bomb, and the scientists underestimated how vigorously some of the weapon materials would react. As a result, the explosion — with a yield of 15 Mt — was over twice what was predicted. The explosive yield of a nuclear weapon is the amount of Energy, called the Yield, discharged when a Nuclear weapon is detonated expressed usually Aside from this problem, the weapon also generated a large amount of radioactive nuclear fallout, more than had been anticipated, and a change in the weather pattern caused the fallout to be spread in a direction which had not been cleared in advance. Fallout is the residual radiation hazard from a Nuclear explosion, so named because it "falls out" of the atmosphere into which it is spread during the explosion The fallout plume spread high levels of radiation for over a hundred miles, contaminating a number of populated islands in nearby atoll formations (though they were soon evacuated, many of the islands' inhabitants suffered from radiation burns and later from other effects such as increased cancer rate and birth defects), as well as a Japanese fishing boat (Daigo Fukuryū Maru). was a Japanese Tuna Fishing boat, which was exposed to and contaminated by Nuclear fallout from the United States ' Castle Bravo One member of the boat's crew died from radiation sickness after returning to port, and it was feared that the radioactive fish they had been carrying had made it into the Japanese food supply.

Because of concerns about worldwide fallout levels, the Partial Test Ban Treaty was signed in 1963. The Treaty banning Nuclear Weapon Tests In The Atmosphere In Outer Space And Under Water, often abbreviated as the Partial Test Ban Treaty ( PTBT) Above are the per capita thyroid doses (in rads) in the continental United States resulting from all exposure routes from all atmospheric nuclear tests conducted at the Nevada Test Site from 1951-1962. The thyroid is one of the largest Endocrine glands in the body The rad is a largely obsolete unit of absorbed Radiation dose with symbol rad. The Nevada Test Site is a United States Department of Energy reservation located in Nye County, Nevada, about 65 miles (105 km northwest of the City of

Bravo was the worst U. S. nuclear accident, but many of its component problems — unpredictably large yields, changing weather patterns, unexpected fallout contamination of populations and the food supply — occurred during other atmospheric nuclear weapons tests by other countries as well. Concerns over worldwide fallout rates eventually led to the Partial Test Ban Treaty in 1963, which limited signatories to underground testing. The Treaty banning Nuclear Weapon Tests In The Atmosphere In Outer Space And Under Water, often abbreviated as the Partial Test Ban Treaty ( PTBT) Not all atmospheric tests stopped, however, but because the United States and the Soviet Union in particular stopped testing above ground it cut the number of atmospheric tests down substantially, because about 86% of all nuclear tests were conducted by those two countries. France continued atmospheric testing until 1974, and People's Republic of China until 1980. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES

Almost all new nuclear powers have announced their possession of nuclear weapons with a nuclear test. The only acknowledged nuclear power which claims never to have conducted a test was South Africa (see Vela Incident), which has since dismantled all of its weapons. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The Vela Incident (sometimes referred to as the South Atlantic Flash) was an as-yet unidentified double flash of Light detected by a United States Israel is widely thought to possess a sizeable nuclear arsenal, though it has never tested. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Experts disagree on whether states can have reliable nuclear arsenals — especially ones using advanced warhead designs, such as hydrogen bombs and miniaturized weapons — without testing, though all agree that it is very unlikely to develop significant nuclear innovations without testing. One other approach is to use supercomputers to conduct "virtual" testing, but the value of these simulations without actual test result data is thought to be slim. A supercomputer is a Computer that is at the frontline of processing capacity particularly speed of calculation (at the time of its introduction

The Sedan test of 1962 was an experiment by the United States in using nuclear weapons to excavate large amounts of earth. Storax Sedan was a shallow underground nuclear test conducted in Area 10 of Yucca Flat at the Nevada Test Site on July 6, 1962

Some nuclear testing has been for ostensibly peaceful purposes. These so-called peaceful nuclear explosions were used to evaluate whether nuclear explosions could be used for non-military purposes such as digging canals and artificial harbors, or to stimulate oil and gas fields. Peaceful nuclear explosions (PNEs are Nuclear explosions conducted for non-military purposes such as activities related to Economic development including the In most cases the results were too radioactive for use, and the programs proved neither economically sound or politically favorable.

Nuclear testing has also been used for clearly political purposes. The most explicit example of this was the detonation of the largest nuclear bomb ever created, the 50 megaton Tsar Bomba (with a maximum yield of 100 Mt), by the Soviet Union in 1961. Tsar Bomba (ru Царь-бомба literally " King Bomb" is the Western name for the RDS-220 hydrogen bomb (codenamed "Иван" (Ivan by its This weapon was too large to be practically used against an enemy target, and it is not thought that any were manufactured except the one detonated in the test.

There have been many attempts to limit the number and size of nuclear tests; the most far-reaching was the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty of 1996, which was not ratified by the United States. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT bans all nuclear explosions in all environments for military or civilian purposes Nuclear testing has since become a controversial issue in the United States, with a number of politicians saying that future testing might be necessary to maintain the aging warheads from the Cold War. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the Because nuclear testing is seen as furthering nuclear arms development, many are also opposed to future testing as an acceleration of the arms race.

Nuclear testing by country

Main article: List of nuclear tests

The nuclear powers have conducted at least 2,000 nuclear test explosions (numbers are approximated, as some test results have been disputed):

Over 2,000 nuclear tests have been conducted, in over a dozen different sites around the world. See also Nuclear testing The following is a list of nuclear test series designations organized first by Country and then by date

• United States: 1,054 tests by official count (involving at least 1,151 devices, 331 atmospheric tests), most at Nevada Test Site and the Pacific Proving Grounds in the Marshall Islands, with ten other tests taking place at various locations in the United States, including Alaska, Colorado, Mississippi, and New Mexico (see Nuclear weapons and the United States for details). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Nevada Test Site is a United States Department of Energy reservation located in Nye County, Nevada, about 65 miles (105 km northwest of the City of The Pacific Proving Grounds was the name used to describe a number of sites in the Marshall Islands and a few other sites in the Pacific Ocean, used by the The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI is a Micronesian nation of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. Mississippi ( is a state located in the Deep South of the United States New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. The United States was the first country in the world to develop Nuclear weapons, and is the only country to have used them as actual weapons, [1]
• Soviet Union: 715 tests (involving 969 devices) by official count [2], most at Semipalatinsk Test Site and Novaya Zemlya, and a few more at various sites in Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Semipalatinsk Test Site (STS was the primary testing venue for the Soviet Union 's Nuclear weapons. Novaya Zemlya (Но́вая Земля́ also spelled Novaja Zemlja, lit Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe.
• France: 210 tests by official count (50 atmospheric, 160 underground [3]), 4 atomic atmospheric tests at C. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. E. S. M. near Reggane, 13 atomic underground tests at C. Reggane (رقان is a town in the Adrar Province of central Algeria, in the Sahara Desert. E. M. O. near In Ekker in the then-French Algerian Sahara, and nuclear atmospheric tests at Fangataufa and nuclear undersea tests Moruroa in French Polynesia. Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's The Sahara (الصحراء الكبرى aṣ-ṣaḥrā´ al-kubra, "The Great Desert" is the world's largest hot Desert and the world's second largest Fangataufa (Fangatafoa is a small low narrow Coral Atoll in the eastern side of the Tuamotu Archipelago. Mururoa (Mururura Moruroa also historically known as Aopuni, ( French Polynesia ( French: Polynésie française, Tahitian: Pōrīnetia Farāni) is a French Overseas collectivity in the Additional atomic and chemical warfare tests took place in the secret base B2-Namous, near Ben Wenif, other tests involving rockets and missiles at C. I. E. E. S, near Hammaguir, both in the Sahara. Hammaguir is a town in Algeria, south-west of Béchar. Between 1947 and 1967 there was a Rocket launch site near Hammaguir used by France for
• United Kingdom: 45 tests (21 in Australian territory, including 9 in mainland South Australia at Maralinga and Emu Field, some at Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean, plus many others in the U. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country British nuclear tests at Maralinga occurred between 1955 and 1963 at the Maralinga site part of the Woomera Prohibited Area, in South Australia. Kiritimati or Christmas Island is a Pacific Ocean Atoll in the northern Line Islands and part of the Republic of Kiribati. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions S. as part of joint test series)
• China: 45 tests (23 atmospheric and 22 underground, at Lop Nur Nuclear Weapons Test Base, in Malan, Xinjiang)
• India: 6 underground tests(including the first one in 1974), at Pokhran. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Lop Nur ( Chinese: 罗布泊 Pinyin: Luóbù Pō also Lake Lop, Lop Nuur) Lop Nor = Lob-nor = Lo-pu po Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Pokhran (also spelled Pokaran) is a city and a Municipality located in Jaisalmer district
• Pakistan: 6 underground tests, at Ras Koh Hills, Chagai District and Kharan Desert, Kharan District in Balochistan Province. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Chagai is the largest district of Pakistan and is located on the north west corner of Balochistan, Pakistan. Kharan Desert (خاران is a desert located in Kharan District, Balochistan, Pakistan. Kharan ( Urdu: خاران) is a district in the north-west of Balochistan province of Pakistan.
• North Korea: 1 test at Hwadae-ri. North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia, The 2006 North Korean nuclear test was the detonation of a nuclear device conducted on October 9, 2006 by the Democratic People's Republic

Additionally, there may have been at least three alleged but unacknowledged nuclear explosions (see list of alleged nuclear tests). See also Nuclear testing The following is a list of nuclear test series designations organized first by Country and then by date Of these, the only one taken seriously as a possible nuclear test is the Vela Incident, a possible detection of a nuclear explosion in the Indian Ocean in 1979, hypothesized to have been a joint Israeli/South African test. The Vela Incident (sometimes referred to as the South Atlantic Flash) was an as-yet unidentified double flash of Light detected by a United States The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa

From the first nuclear test in 1945 until tests by Pakistan in 1998, there was never a period of more than 22 months with no nuclear testing. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and June 1998 to October 2006, when North Korea reported a successful underground nuclear test, was the longest period since 1945 with no acknowledged nuclear tests.

Milestone nuclear explosions

The following list is of milestone nuclear explosions. In addition to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the first nuclear test of a given weapon type for a country is included, and tests which were otherwise notable (such as the largest test ever). The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuclear attacks near the end of World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United States at All yields (explosive power) are given in their estimated energy equivalents in kilotons of TNT (see megaton). Trinitrotoluene ( TNT) is a Chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO23CH3

Date	Name	Yield (kT)	Country	Significance
16 Jul 1945	Trinity	19	USA	First fission device test, first plutonium implosion detonation
6 Aug 1945	Little Boy	15	USA	Bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, first detonation of an enriched uranium gun-type device
9 Aug 1945	Fat Man	21	USA	Bombing of Nagasaki, Japan
29 Aug 1949	RDS-1	22	USSR	First fission weapon test by the USSR
3 Oct 1952	Hurricane	25	UK	First fission weapon test by the UK
1 Nov 1952	Ivy Mike	10,400	USA	First "staged" thermonuclear weapon test (not deployable)
12 Aug 1953	Joe 4	400	USSR	First fusion weapon test by the USSR (not "staged", but deployable)
1 Mar 1954	Castle Bravo	15,000	USA	First deployable "staged" thermonuclear weapon; fallout accident where some people were radiation-poisoned
22 Nov 1955	RDS-37	1,600	USSR	First "staged" thermonuclear weapon test by the USSR (deployable)
8 Nov 1957	Grapple X	1,800	UK	First (successful) "staged" thermonuclear weapon test by the UK
13 Feb 1960	Gerboise Bleue	70	France	First fission weapon test by France
31 Oct 1961	Tsar Bomba	50,000	USSR	Largest thermonuclear weapon ever tested
16 Oct 1964	596	22	PR China	First fission weapon test by the People's Republic of China
17 Jun 1967	Test No. 6	3,300	PR China	First "staged" thermonuclear weapon test by the People's Republic of China
24 Aug 1968	Canopus	2,600	France	First "staged" thermonuclear test by France
18 May 1974	Smiling Buddha	12	India	First fission nuclear explosive test by India
11 May 1998	Shakti I	43	India	First potential fusion/boosted weapon test by India (exact yields disputed, between 25kt and 45kt)
11 May 1998	Shakti II	12	India	First deployable fission weapon test by India
28 May 1998	Chagai-I	9-12	Pakistan	First fission weapon test by Pakistan. The explosive yield of a nuclear weapon is the amount of Energy, called the Yield, discharged when a Nuclear weapon is detonated expressed usually Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Trinity was the first test of technology for a Nuclear weapon. The United States was the first country in the world to develop Nuclear weapons, and is the only country to have used them as actual weapons, Events 1538 - Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Little Boy was the Codename of the Atomic bomb, developed via the "Manhattan Project" which was dropped on Hiroshima, on August 6 1945 by the The United States was the first country in the world to develop Nuclear weapons, and is the only country to have used them as actual weapons, The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuclear attacks near the end of World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United States at The Japanese city of ( is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshū, the largest of Japan 's For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar "Fat Man" is the codename for the Atomic bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, by the United States on August 9 The United States was the first country in the world to develop Nuclear weapons, and is the only country to have used them as actual weapons, The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuclear attacks near the end of World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United States at ( is the Capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Events 708 - Copper coins are minted in Japan for the first time (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 708) Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The RDS-1 (РДС-1 also Joe-1, was the USSR's first Nuclear weapon test, named in reference to Joseph Stalin. The Soviet project to develop an atomic bomb began during World War II in the Soviet Union. Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For the Allied air forces show of force over Germany during World War II see Operation Hurricane (1944 Operation Hurricane was the test of the first The United Kingdom was the third state to test an independently developed Nuclear weapon in October 1952 Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ivy Mike was the codename given to the first US test of a fusion device where a major part of the explosive yield came from fusion The United States was the first country in the world to develop Nuclear weapons, and is the only country to have used them as actual weapons, Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Joe 4 (Warhead name RDS-6s ( Reaktivnyi Dvigatel Stalina; Stalin's Reaction Engine was an American nickname for the first Soviet test of a Thermonuclear The Soviet project to develop an atomic bomb began during World War II in the Soviet Union. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) Castle Bravo was the Code name given to the first US test of a so-called dry fuel thermonuclear Hydrogen bomb device detonated on March 1, The United States was the first country in the world to develop Nuclear weapons, and is the only country to have used them as actual weapons, Fallout is the residual radiation hazard from a Nuclear explosion, so named because it "falls out" of the atmosphere into which it is spread during the explosion Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) RDS-37 was the Soviet Union's first "true" (staged Hydrogen bomb, first tested on November 22, 1955. The Soviet project to develop an atomic bomb began during World War II in the Soviet Union. Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Operation Grapple, and operations Grapple X, Grapple Y and Grapple Z, were the names of British nuclear tests The United Kingdom was the third state to test an independently developed Nuclear weapon in October 1952 Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Gerboise Bleue ("blue jerboa" was the name of the first French nuclear test. France is one of the five "Nuclear Weapons States" under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty but is not known to possess or develop any chemical or Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Tsar Bomba (ru Царь-бомба literally " King Bomb" is the Western name for the RDS-220 hydrogen bomb (codenamed "Иван" (Ivan by its The Soviet project to develop an atomic bomb began during World War II in the Soviet Union. Events 456 - Magister militum Ricimer defeats the Emperor Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the western Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. 596 is the codename of the People's Republic of China 's first Nuclear weapons test, detonated on October 16[[ 964]] The People's Republic of China is estimated by the US Government to have an arsenal of about 150 Nuclear weapons as of 1999, which matches Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. The People's Republic of China is estimated by the US Government to have an arsenal of about 150 Nuclear weapons as of 1999, which matches The People's Republic of China is estimated by the US Government to have an arsenal of about 150 Nuclear weapons as of 1999, which matches Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Canopus (also Opération Canopus in French) was the code name for France's first two-stage France is one of the five "Nuclear Weapons States" under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty but is not known to possess or develop any chemical or Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. The Smiling Buddha was the first nuclear test explosion by India on May 18, 1974 at Pokhran. India is believed to possess an arsenal of Nuclear weapons and maintains intermediate-range Ballistic missiles to deliver them Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Pokharan-II refers to test explosions of five Nuclear devices three on 11 May and two on 13 May 1998 conducted by India India is believed to possess an arsenal of Nuclear weapons and maintains intermediate-range Ballistic missiles to deliver them Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Pokharan-II refers to test explosions of five Nuclear devices three on 11 May and two on 13 May 1998 conducted by India India is believed to possess an arsenal of Nuclear weapons and maintains intermediate-range Ballistic missiles to deliver them Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Chagai-I refers to the nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan in 1998. The Islamic Republic of Pakistan began focusing on nuclear development in January 1972 under the leadership of Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali
9 Oct 2006	Hwadae-ri	<1	North Korea	First fission device tested by North Korea; resulted as a fizzle

"Deployable" refers to whether the device tested could be hypothetically used in actual combat (in contrast with a proof-of-concept device). Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The 2006 North Korean nuclear test was the detonation of a nuclear device conducted on October 9, 2006 by the Democratic People's Republic North Korea claims to possess Nuclear weapons and the CIA asserts that it has a substantial arsenal of Chemical weapons. In Nuclear weapons a fizzle occurs when the testing of a nuclear bomb fails to meet its expected yield. "Staging" refers to whether it was a "true" hydrogen bomb of the so-called Teller-Ulam configuration or simply a form of a boosted fission weapon. The Teller–Ulam design is a Nuclear weapon design which is used in Megaton -range Thermonuclear weapons and is more colloquially referred to as "the The Teller–Ulam design is a Nuclear weapon design which is used in Megaton -range Thermonuclear weapons and is more colloquially referred to as "the A boosted fission weapon usually refers to a type of Nuclear bomb that uses a small amount of fusion fuel to increase the rate and thus yield of a fission For a more complete list of nuclear test series, see List of nuclear tests. See also Nuclear testing The following is a list of nuclear test series designations organized first by Country and then by date Some exact yield estimates, such as that of the Tsar Bomba and the tests by India and Pakistan in 1998, are somewhat contested among specialists. Tsar Bomba (ru Царь-бомба literally " King Bomb" is the Western name for the RDS-220 hydrogen bomb (codenamed "Иван" (Ivan by its

See also

• Atomic Testing Museum (in Nevada in the US)
• Effects of nuclear explosions
• High altitude nuclear explosion
• History of nuclear weapons
• List of military nuclear accidents (including nuclear weapons accidents)
• List of nuclear tests
• List of states with nuclear weapons
• Live fire exercise
• National Technical Means
• Nuclear weapons design
• Partial Test Ban Treaty
• Test Readiness Program
• Underwater explosion
• Category:Nuclear test sites

Footnotes

References

History

External links

• Video archive of US, Soviet, UK, Chines and French Nuclear Testing at sonicbomb.com
• Maps of sites tested
• "We're all Downwinders Now"
• Atomic Veterans History Project (United States)
• Australian government database of nuclear explosions and tests Australian
• Australian Nuclear Fallout Strontium 90 survey 1957-58 Child bones Australian
• Australia's program of testing for Strontium 90, between 1957 and 1978, samples of childrens bones taken at autopsy Australian
• The Bombing of the Monte Bello Islands Western Australia
• Silent Storm - Film about CSIRO scientist Hedley Marston's top-secret fallout experimentsAustralian
• Ionising Radiation and Health Australian
• Oklahoma Geological Survey Nuclear Explosion Catalog lists 2,199 explosions by date, country, location, yield etc.
• Table of Known Nuclear Tests Worldwide, from NRDC
• Gallery of U.S. nuclear tests (with detailed descriptions of each test series)
• Gallery and short descriptions of UK nuclear tests
• Account of fallout from Nevada Test Site in 1955 (PDF)
• Soviet Nuclear Test Summary
• Marshall Islands Nuclear Claims Tribunal
• Nuclear Testing at Nuclear Files. org
• Film footage of nuclear artillery test
• What About Radiation on Bikini Atoll?
• Nevada Desert Experience Nevada Desert Experience
• Western States Legal Foundation
• The Nuclear Weapon Archive
• United Nations Leadup to Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty 22nd September 1995 General Conference