This morning Debbie and I toured the site of the first atomic bomb test.
Labeled "Trinity", the site within the secure White Sands Test Range is open to visitors twice a year. We overnighted in Socorro
about 20 miles away from the Range entrance and got there shortly after dawn; the fifth car in line.
There is a 12-13 mile drive with the range to get to the site and then about a quarter mile walk from the parking area to
the actual detonation site.
Yes, the site is still slightly radioactive; about 10 times the normal background level for the surrounding desert.
(I'm typing this by the glow from my forehead..
)
There is no crater as such although the ground is depressed in a shallow bowl about 6 feet at its deepest and about 200 yards
in diameter. If you hadn't been told, you'd probably not notice it.
A lava stone obelisk marks the actual site of the vaporized tower that held the "device" above ground level. A few yards
Northwest of the obelisk the remains of one tower leg can still be seen.
Originally after the blast, the area was covered with Trinitite; an artificial, green, glass-like mineral created from the
sand by the immense heat and pressure of the blast. Almost all of this material is long gone having been taken by souvenir
hunters but a low metal shed covers a small area of the site to protect an intact section. Tiny fragments of Trinitite
are still scattered everywhere, but I doubt most people actually recognize them, probably a good thing.
Initially there was some concern that the TNT trigger would not work properly and that the chain reaction would fail
scattering highly radioactive plutonium all over the area so a special "safety container" was designed into which the actual
bomb would be placed. The idea was that this "shell" (named "Jumbo") would contain the TNT blast and resultant debris,
but would vaporize if the chain reaction occurred as designed.
In the end, it was not used but was partially blown up in a test years later when 8 500 lb bombs were placed in it and set off.
McDonald Ranch was located a few miles from Ground Zero and served as quarters for the scientists gathered for the test.
The actual plutonium core of the bomb was assembled in the living room of the ranch house.
Frankly, I felt no cosmic significance at the site; just fascination. Having been there once, I doubt I will return, but I'm
very glad we went. One more item off the list..
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