Environment: Autopsy on Cannikin

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In the aftermath of the explosion of a Spartan warhead a mile below the surface of Amchitka Island, the world's environmentalists waited anxiously for the postoperative reports on what was surely one of the greatest shocks man had ever inflicted on his supportive earth. There were no earthquakes, no tidal waves. To date, it has been a case of no news being good news.

The initial shock did cause numerous cliff falls and rock slides along Amchitka's shoreline. A flurry of barely noticeable tremors followed as the tormented earth adjusted itself around the 800-ft.-wide subterranean cavity created by the blast: 38 hours later, there was a last convulsive shudder as the cavity collapsed. But the danger of radioactive releases was apparently past. The radioactive material is virtually sealed in place by rock compacted by the pressure of the monster explosion.

Can underground water seep out of the radioactive blast area? Not for several thousand years, says Dr. James Carothers, and AEC's scientific adviser on the island. As to Cannikin's effect on wildlife, the body count so far includes two sea otters, two seals, 13 birds of various species and an undetermined number of fish. In addition, one peregrine falcon nest and three eagle nests—all unoccupied—were destroyed when the ground heaved around them.

All in all, the AEC believes that things went so well that it is now cautiously weighing the pros and cons of a few nuclear shocks to loosen (for commercial use) natural gas deposits some 5,000 ft. to 7.000 ft. under Colorado and Wyoming.