10/22/2026
💥 Mississippi’s Underground Nuclear Tests: Project Salmon
Did you know that underground nuclear bombs were detonated near Baxterville, Mississippi?
In 1964, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission began a series of underground experiments at the Tatum Salt Dome in Lamar County, near Baxterville. The effort was part of Project Dribble, a research program intended to help scientists understand how underground nuclear explosions could be distinguished from natural earthquakes.
On October 22, 1964, the first test, code-named Salmon, detonated a nuclear device approximately 2,710 feet underground. The explosion had an estimated yield of 5.3 kilotons of TNT and created a large cavity within the salt dome.
Two years later, on December 3, 1966, scientists conducted Project Sterling, detonating a much smaller nuclear device inside the cavity created by Salmon. Its yield was approximately 380 tons of TNT equivalent. The goal was to study how a cavity affected the seismic signals produced by a nuclear explosion.
The experiments continued with two non-nuclear gas explosions under Project Miracle Play:
📍 February 2, 1969 — Diode Tube
📍 April 19, 1970 — Humid Water
Each gas explosion had an estimated yield equivalent to approximately 315 tons of TNT.
These experiments were part of the broader Vela Uniform program, which investigated ways to detect and identify underground nuclear tests. The Salmon cavity was used for all three subsequent explosions.
The U.S. Department of Energy reports that the salt dome contained the products of the detonations, although radioactive contamination was brought to the surface during later drilling operations. The site remains subject to long-term environmental monitoring.
It is remarkable to think that beneath the Mississippi landscape, scientists conducted experiments that contributed to the understanding of nuclear test detection during the Cold War.
Had you ever heard about the nuclear tests near Baxterville? Share this post to help more people discover this little-known chapter of Mississippi history!
