ARAC update: 1979

The Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability service (ARAC), has three main functions: to provide support to designated Department of Energy facilities during an accidental atmospheric release of radionuclides; to support the DOE Emergency Response Team in the event of potential or actual releases of radionuclides; and to provide the Federal Aviation Administration with dose assessments whenever aircraft could possibly intercept a nuclear debris cloud from a Chinese atmospheric nuclear test. A computer network linking the central facility at Livermore with the Air Force Global Weather Central and the remote DOE sites allows rapid data transmission and analysis. Facilities are described, and tests and responses of the ARAC system and models from May 1974 to April 24, 1979 are outlined