Fangataufa: Difference between revisions

Fangataufa
	Satellite view of Fangataufa Atoll showing the dark blue depths of the induced crater. Courtesy NASA.
	Fangataufa
Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Coordinates	22°15′S 138°45′W / 22.250°S 138.750°W
Archipelago	Tuamotus
Area	45 km2 (17 sq mi) (lagoon); 5 km2 (2 sq mi) (above water)
Length	9.5 km (5.9 mi)
Width	9.5 km (5.9 mi)
Administration
	France
Overseas collectivity	French Polynesia
Administrative subdivision	Tuamotus
Commune	Tureia
Demographics
Population	Uninhabited (2012)

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Revision as of 07:59, 3 April 2022

Fangataufa (or Fangatafoa) is a small, low, narrow, coral atoll in the eastern side of the Tuamotu Archipelago. It was formerly known as Cockburn Island. Along with its neighboring atoll, Moruroa, it has been the site of nuclear bomb tests, with 14 of them that took place on Fangataufa.

Geography

The island is approx. 9.5 kilometres (5.9 miles) long and 9.5 kilometres (5.9 miles) wide. It has a lagoon area of 45 square kilometres (17 square miles) and a land area of 5 kilometres (3.1 miles). It is located 37 kilometres (23 miles) south of Moruroa atoll, 197 kilometres (122 miles) east of Tematangi, 240 kilometres (150 miles) southwest of the Gambier Islands and 1,190 kilometres (740 miles) southeast of Tahiti.

Access to the lagoon is through a pass lying 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometres) SW of the northernmost point of the atoll; the channel has a width of about 60 metres (200 feet) and a dredged depth of 6.5 metres (21.3 feet). A 12-metre-long (39-foot) quay, in 2.5 metres (8.2 feet) of water, is situated in the NE part of the lagoon; another quay, 50 metres (160 feet) long in 5 metres (16 feet) of water, and landing ramps, were constructed in its E part. The access channel is marked, on each side, by two beacons. There is an abandoned airfield, built to accommodate medium size transport aircraft, on the NE coast of the atoll. It is reported that the pass of Fangataufa is obstructed by a chain boom. This boom can be moved by agreement with the local military authority.

History

The first recorded European to arrive at Fangataufa Atoll was Frederick William Beechey in 1826. The atoll was inhabited well into the 20th century.

Fangataufa was the place of France's nuclear tests between September 24, 1966 and January 27, 1996. In total, 14 nuclear tests occured on the island, in various periods.

First period was from September 24, 1966 to August 2, 1970. In this period, Fangataufa was the site of France's first two-stage thermonuclear test, code named Canopus, detonated on August 24, 1968. The nuclear explosion had a yield of 2.6 megatons. The atoll was also the location of the 1970 914-kiloton Licorne ('Unicorn') test and two other atmospheric nuclear tests as well as several underground nuclear tests. In total, 4 nuclear tests took place.

After August 2, 1970, no new nuclear testings occured on Fangataufa until two nuclear tests took place in June 5 and November 30, 1975, respectively. Between 26 November 1975 and November 30, 1988, there were no any nuclear tests on Fangataufa, with all of them taking place on nearby atoll, Muruoa.

After the nuclear test on November 30, 1988, nuclear tests on Fangataufa were renewed. There were 7 more tests that took place until January 27, 1996, when France's last nuclear test took place on Fangataufa.

Today, Fangataufa serves as a wildlife sanctuary for various species of birds. It is permanently uninhabited, and is classified as a Common Military Zone. The zone includes the lagoon areas enclosed by the atoll and by baselines linking the closest points emerging from the reef on both sides of the channel. Entry is prohibited without authorization.

In February 2021, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research INSERM published a report entitled "Nuclear tests and health - Consequences in French Polynesia".^[2] The objective of this study was to establish an assessment of the available international scientific knowledge on the health consequences of the atmospheric nuclear tests conducted by France in French Polynesia, on the general population and former civilian and military workers.^[3]

Administration

Administratively Fangataufa Atoll is part of the commune of Tureia, which includes the atolls of Tureia, Moruroa, Tematangi and Vanavana.

References

^ "Population". Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
^ "Essais nucléaires et santé - Conséquences en Polynésie française". Inserm - La science pour la santé (in French). Retrieved 2021-03-06.
^ INSERM (2020). Essais nucléaires et santé – Conséquences en Polynésie française (PDF). Expertise Collective (in French). Paris: EDP Sciences. ISBN 978-2-7598-2472-4.

External links

[1] "Population". Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française. Retrieved 25 September 2014.

[2] "Essais nucléaires et santé - Conséquences en Polynésie française". Inserm - La science pour la santé (in French). Retrieved 2021-03-06.

[3] INSERM (2020). Essais nucléaires et santé – Conséquences en Polynésie française (PDF). Expertise Collective (in French). Paris: EDP Sciences. ISBN 978-2-7598-2472-4.

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-'''Fangataufa''' (or '''Fangatafoa''') is a small, low, narrow, [[coral]] [[atoll]] in the eastern side of the [[Tuamotu Archipelago]]. It was formerly known as Cockburn Island. Along with its neighboring atoll, [[Moruroa]], it has been the site of approximately 200 [[nuclear bomb]] tests.
+'''Fangataufa''' (or '''Fangatafoa''') is a small, low, narrow, [[coral]] [[atoll]] in the eastern side of the [[Tuamotu Archipelago]]. It was formerly known as Cockburn Island. Along with its neighboring atoll, [[Moruroa]], it has been the site of [[nuclear bomb]] tests, with 14 of them that took place on Fangataufa.
 ==Geography==