Transport, deposition, and meteorological studies of nuclear debris in the atmosphere

The close working relationship between the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had its beginnings with the establishment of the AEC and with early nuclear weapons test operations. There were three areas of interaction. In 1948 the Weather Bureau (now the NOAA National Weather Service) began providing meteorological services required in connection with the establishment and operation of the Oak Ridge, Tennessee, production and research facilities. This group, which is now supported in part by the AEC Division of Biology and Medicine (DBM) and in part by NOAA, has evolved into a leading center of operational and theoretical research into meteorological problems relating to the use of nuclear energy. Another group, headquartered in Washington, provided meteorological studies and consultation in connection with the siting of new AEC production facilities and power reactors and the meteorological operations and research required by the National Reactor Testing Station near Idaho Falls, Idaho. This group is supported by the AEC Divisions of Reactor Development and Technology and Reactor Licensing. Both groups are now components of the NOAA Air Resources Laboratories (ARL). The third area of interaction began with a group of theoretical and operational meteorologists assembled in 1948 to investigate the long-range atmospheric transport of nuclear debris. Dr. Lester Machta, now Director of the Air Resources Laboratories, was in charge of this group. The success of their early activities led to a much broader participation in many other aspects of nuclear testing and nuclear technology. The third group, now called the Air Resources Radioactivity Laboratory (ARRL), a component of the Air Resources Laboratories, has provided expertise and continuity in fallout studies over the past two decades and also has made major contributions in the use of radioactive isotopes for investigating atmospheric processes. A major portion of its work has been supported by the AEC for more than two decades. The work of ARRL for the Division of Biology and Medicine, Fallout Studies Branch, for Fiscal Year 1971 under Contract AT(49-7)-4 is reported here.