The Ivy Test Series: First thermonuclear explosion on the Enewetok Atoll 1952

The test series conducted to demonstrate high yield weapon designs.

Ivy Mike

Ivy Mike detonated on 10/31/1952. It was a 10.4 Megatons two stage thermonuclear surface burst, the first H-Bomb that was ever tested. Test area was the island of Elugelab/Flora on the Eniwetok atoll, Marshall islands. The explosion caused a crater, 6240 feet across (= 1.5 kilometers) and 164 feet deep (=53 meters), Elugelab/Flora was destroyed by the test.

    Ivy Mike before the detonation: The weight of this bomb was 65 tons and it had to be constantly cooled down on a very low temperature.

   Explosion of Ivy Mike

  View of Elugelab before and after the explosion

  Back to the nuclear gallery

Made in 1997 by Michael Schmid