What is "ground zero"

1946, originally with reference to atomic blasts. In reference to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on New York, it was in use by Sept. 13.

n. 1 The point on the land or water surface below, above, or at which an atomic or nuclear bomb detonates 2 (context by extension English) The location of any disaster

1. n. the target of a projectile (as a bomb or missile)

2. the site of the World Trade Center before it was destroyed

3. the point of detonation (or above or below) of a nuclear weapon

In terms of nuclear explosions and other large bombs, the term "ground zero" (sometimes also known as "surface zero") describes the point on the Earth's surface closest to a detonation. In the case of an explosion above the ground, ground zero refers to the point on the ground directly below the nuclear detonation and is sometimes called the hypocenter (from Greek ὑπο- "under-" and center). Generally, it is also used in relation to earthquakes, epidemics, and other disasters to mark the point of the most severe damage or destruction. The term is distinguished from the term zero point in that the latter can also be located in the air, underground, or underwater.

Ground-Zero was a Japanese noise/ improvisation band during the 1990s led by the guitarist and "turntablist" Otomo Yoshihide that had a large and rotating group of performers with two other regular performers.

Ground Zero (1988) is a book of essays by Andrew Holleran. The title refers to a catastrophic disaster in Lower Manhattan, namely the havoc wrought by AIDS in the 1980s among gay men. Holleran's essays are by turns thoughtful, reflective, angry, frustrated, and mournful in the extreme. Particularly notable are the twin essays "Notes on Promiscuity" and "Notes on Celibacy," each of which is a collection of provocative aphorisms.

Ground zero describes the point on the Earth's surface closest to a nuclear detonation. In the case of an explosion above the ground, ground zero refers to the point on the ground directly below the nuclear detonation (see hypocenter).

Ground zero may also refer to:

• Hypocenter, the site directly below, directly above, or at the point of detonation of a nuclear explosion
• The World Trade Center site in New York City, after the September 11 attacks.
• The hypocenters of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• The central plaza of The Pentagon during the Cold War

Ground Zero is a blues club in Clarksdale, Mississippi that is co-owned by Morgan Freeman, attorney Bill Luckett, and Memphis entertainment executive Howard Stovall. It got its name from the fact that Clarksdale has been historically referred to as "Ground Zero" for the blues. It opened in May 2001 and is located right next to the Delta Blues Museum. With its mismatched chairs and fraying sofa on the porch, it has a décor described as "manufactured authenticity." Blues fans in Clarksdale welcome it as a place where local musicians have a chance to work regularly.

The menu consists of traditional southern foods, and the restaurant has live blues music playing Wednesday through Saturday. Super Chikan and Bill "Howl-n-Madd" Perry, not to be confused with the deceased Bill Perry, are two of the most frequent and well-known performers. In addition to the food and music, there are seven upstairs apartments that can be rented out to customers who would like to live the blues experience 24 hours a day.

Ground Zero has appeared in many television shows and publications, including:

• 60 Minutes
• Stephen Fry in America ( BBC Documentary)
• The Mighty Mississippi

Ground Zero is a 1987 Australian drama- thriller about a cinematographer who, prompted by curiosity about some old film footage taken by his father, embarks on a quest to find out the truth about British nuclear tests at Maralinga. It stars actors Colin Friels, Jack Thompson and Indigenous activist Burnum Burnum.

Ground Zero (aka California Quake) is a 2000 American action film, directed by Richard Friedman.

Ground Zero is the third album by American deathcore band As Blood Runs Black. It was released on October 27, 2014. It is the band's first album to feature vocalist Christopher Bartholomew.

Ground Zero is the 1990 debut album of Indian band 13AD. The album was widely praised in the Indian press.

Ground Zero was a late night Australian music show on Network Ten that featured music videos and live appearances. It aired from 1997 to 2001 and was initially directed by Bernie Zelvis and was hosted by Jade Gatt (who was dropped from the show in controversial circumstances), Ugly Phil and Jackie O.

By 1999 the program was no longer filmed in a studio and was instead shot on various locations across Sydney and Melbourne. With the structural change also came a change of host with Nick Benett, Fiona Horne and Rod Cuddihy presenting the show during 1999 and 2000. Damian Harland was editor 1999 & 2000.

Although ill fated, it is remembered as being one of the early television programs in Australia to feature an internet presence during its early years.

Ground Zero was a United States advocacy and education organization devoted to nuclear weapons. Founded by former White House National Security Council official Roger Molander, it did not explicitly support the nuclear freeze, but worked to raise awareness of the nuclear threat during the period of the freeze campaign in the early 1980s.

On March 21, 1982, Molander published a prominent piece in the Washington Post discussing the nuclear threat, and from April 18 to April 25, 1982 the organization sponsored a Ground Zero Week of nationwide events to demonstrate that American cities had no defenses in the event of nuclear war. These events were sponsored by the National Education Association, United Auto Workers, the National Council of Churches, and an array of other organizations. Some have suggested that these events helped build the momentum for the large freeze demonstration in New York City that took place on June 12, 1982.

Ground Zero also published a mass market paperback entitled Nuclear War: what's in it for you? Printed by Pocket Books of New York, the book included four scenarios "for killing 500 million people," statistics on the likely death totals of United States and Soviet Union nuclear exchanges and a layman's understanding of how nuclear weapons are designed and built.