Home > Nuclear Weapons > Nevada Test Site Map > Area 4
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Area 4 — This area, within the Nuclear Test Zone, occupies 41 km2 (16 mi2) near the center of the Yucca Flat basin.
Area 4 was the site of five atmospheric nuclear tests conducted between 1952 and 1957.
From the mid-1970s through 1991, a total of 35 underground nuclear tests were conducted in Area 4, mainly in the northeast corner.
Two of these tests involved the simultaneous detonation of multiple devices in the same emplacement hole.
This brings the total number of detonations to 44.
Also
located in Area 4 is the Big Explosives Experimental Facility. The Big Explosives
Experiment Facility (BEEF) is a hydrodynamic testing facility.
The need for the BEEF site originated when, due to community encroachment near the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) facility in Livermore, California, DOE was no longer allowed to perform large high explosive experiments at the facilities Site 300, Shaped Charge Scaling Project.
Therefore looking at the Nevada Test Site as a location to continue to perform these large high explosive experiments, two earth-covered, two-foot thick steel reinforced concrete bunkers, built to monitor atmospheric tests at Yucca Flat in the 1950s, were located and found to be ideally configured.
The facility consists of a control
bunker, a camera bunker, a gravel firing table certified for up to 7500 pounds
of
Conventional High Explosives., and associated control and diagnostic systems.
The facility has conducted safely conventional high-explosives experiments using
a test bed that provides sophisticated diagnostics such as high-speed optics
and x-ray radiography on the firing table, while operating personnel are present
in the bunker.
BEEF"ing Up on the Taxpayer's Dime
Among other things BEEF is developing the shaped charges which are to be used in the new mini nukes development. Low-Yield Earth-Penetrating Nuclear Weapons
The Big Explosives Experimental Faciliy
(BEEF) in Area 4 has been designed as an operational complex for testing large
conventional high explosive charges that weigh as much as several thousand or
more kilograms. In essence, BEEF consists of several earth-covered, steel reinforced
concrete structures. The DOE has assumed that during the next decade, roughly
100 hydrodynamic tests would be conducted at this facility, utilizing larger
HE charges and potentially hazardous materials, such as beryllium, tritium,
and heavy metals.
The BREN Tower, the highest structure
known to have been built for any government, was initially erected in Area 4
in 1962. However, because of interference with underground nuclear tests, the
tower was moved in 1966 in Area 28 (since merged into Areas 25 and 27).
Total number of Nuclear Tests 40 and Detonations 44 having occurred Area 4, according to United States Nuclear Tests July 1945 through September 1992 DOE/NV--209-REV 15 December 2000 which may view here, but the document only lists the following tests as having occurred Area 4, other are tests are listed by hole or shaft number and am still working on updating this list.
| Test Number | Name | Date | Sponsor | Remarks | Photo |
| 28 | Fox | 05/25/1952 | LANL | Operation Tumbler-Snapper 11kt |
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| 34 | Nancy | 03/24/1953 | LANL | Operation Upshot-Knothole |  |
| 37 | Ray | 04/11/1953 | LLNL | Operation Upshot-Knothole | |
| 57 | Apple-1 | 03/29/1955 | LANL | Operation Teapot |
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| 96 | Kepler | 07/24/1957 | LANL | Operation Plumbbob 10kt |
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