Blob Phenomena An interesting phenomena can be seen during shots Romeo and Nectar of Operation Castle, Navajo Apache and Tewa of Operation Redwing, and Poplar Operation Hardtack. A small nipple or complete miniture fireball is ejected from the top of the main fireball, before being consumed by the main fireball. All the test shots that exibited this phenomenon were multi-megaton, and fired from floating barges. The most likely explanation is shockwave dynamics at work inside the early fireball. The effect is most likey plasma, vaporised coral and barge material being carried up by the shockwave reflecting off the water. There are thories that the effect is produced by the primary, but that is impossible. When the first light reaches the camera lens, the whole reaction is finished. Everything inside the device, as well as everything around it, including hundreds of tons of boat steel, measuring instruments, water and coral is already blended with the fireball. There is logically no way to identify unique sub elements of the bomb there. However blobs of this material can be seen splashing against the inside of the fireball in these examples and many others. - Click on a thumbnail for a larger version Navajo Redwing - Initial fireball, blob formation and shockfront breakaway