26/11/2021 Stati Uniti, Hawaii, Oahu
“If you ever come across anything suspicious like this item, please do not pick it up, contact your local law enforcement agency for assistance”
By Marc Arakaki
Prior to the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, munitions were stored at Schofield Barracks in Central Oʻahu. However, Hawaiʻi’s tropical climate corroded some munitions causing them to leak. Near the end of the war, decisions were made to dispose of damaged and obsolete bombs at sea. With the help of a sophisticated seafloor mapping underwater vehicle, Edwards’ team began the project in 2007 to search for approximately 16,000 bombs filled with mustard agent. Sonar was used to find the metal objects based on their response to sound waves, which was expected to differ from the response of the silty seafloor. Edwards said the trails of dots discovered in the sonar data matched historical photographs of how the bombs were disposed of in the ocean. Researchers then used manned submersibles and remotely operated vehicles to visit the munitions on the seafloor and collect samples of sediment and marine life to search for evidence that toxins were affecting the surrounding environment. Analysis of sediments near munitions showed trace amounts of mustard agent or its degradation products, which came from the munitions. However, there was no evidence of mustard contamination on any of the marine life that were collected. “What began as a global effort to share information regarding the impact of munitions disposed at sea is now fostering policy in the European Union that may lead to environmental action in the Baltic Sea. That’s an unexpected but important outcome of this UH-led research, and I look forward to continuing the collaboration,” Edwards said. This work is an example of UH Mānoa’s goal of Excellence in Research: Advancing the Research and Creative Work Enterprise (PDF), one of four goals identified in the 2015–25 Strategic Plan (PDF), updated in December 2020.
Photo-Source: hawaii.edu
If you find anything that appears to be an explosive device, do not touch it, leave it where it is and call the police. We will contact the appropriate agencies to properly dispose of the item.
Dear editors, Biography of a bomb is aimed at highlighting the danger caused by unexploded bombs. Moreover, the most important aspect is that we work completely non profit, raising awerness about this topic is what drives us. We apologize if we make use of pictures in yours articles, but we need them to put a context in how findings are done. We will (and we always do) cite source and author of the picture. We thank you for your comprehension.
