274 Atolls. [more inside]
posted by bigmusic on Apr 6, 2008 - 20 comments

If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst forth at once in the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One... I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds. ---> part one and Part two of Operation Crossroads, one of many atomic testing operations conducted during WWII, documented extensively on film and preserved in excellent condition here at the Archive. For further viewing: Operation Ivy, the testing of the first hydrogen fusion bomb. Operation Cue (1955 version), testing bomb damage done to housing and infrastructure. Special Delivery, a look at the preparation and technology, especially planes, used for the testing. Duck and Cover, a classic safety film from 1951 detailing the best schoolyard response to a nuclear attack. Caution! Interesting, disturbing, and at least an hour's worth of viewing!
posted by BlackLeotardFront on Sep 29, 2005 - 15 comments

Christmas Island is the largest coral atoll in the world with an area of 248 square miles of which 125 square miles is land and the remainder lagoon. [more]
posted by hama7 on Apr 5, 2003 - 12 comments

Takuu, an atoll community in Papua New Guinea, threatened by rising sea levels
I don't know what to make of it, but I've heard similarly dire fates predicted for minor islands of Oceania, if present trends continue into the next 50 years.
posted by rschram on Oct 19, 2000 - 1 comment