Everything about Ground Zero totally explained
The term
Ground Zero may be used to describe the point on the earth's surface where an explosion occurs. In the case of an explosion above the ground,
Ground Zero refers to the point on the ground directly below explosion (see
hypocenter).
The term has often been associated with
nuclear explosions and other large
bombs, but is also used in relation to
earthquakes, epidemics and other disasters to mark the point of the most severe damage or destruction. Damage gradually decreases with distance from this point.
History of term
The origins of the term "Ground Zero" began with the
Manhattan Project and the bombing of Japan. The Oxford English Dictionary, citing the use of the term in a 1946 New York Times report on the destroyed city of Hiroshima, defines “ground zero” as “that part of the ground situated immediately under an exploding bomb, especially an atomic one.”
The term was military slang — used at the
Trinity site where the weapon tower for the first
nuclear weapon was at point 'zero' — and moved into general use very shortly after the end of
World War II.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Relating to a specific event, the term was first used to refer to the devastation caused by the
atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The Pentagon
The Pentagon, the headquarters of the
U.S. Department of Defense in
Arlington, Virginia was thought of as the most likely target of a
nuclear missile strike during the
Cold War. The open space in the center is informally known as ground zero, and a snack bar located at the center of this plaza is named the "Ground Zero Cafe."
World Trade Center
The term was also used to describe the site of the
World Trade Center in
New York City, which was destroyed in the
September 11, 2001 attacks. The adoption of this term by the mainstream North American media began as early as 7:47 p.m. (
EDT) on September 11, when
CBS News reporter
Jim Axelrod said, Rescue workers also used the phrase "
The Pile", referring to the pile of rubble that was left after the buildings collapsed.
Other uses
The term is often re-used for disasters that have a geographic or conceptual epicenter.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Ground Zero'.
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