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74-640: Project Gasbuggy was an underground nuclear detonation carried out by the United States Atomic Energy Commission on December 10, 1967 in rural northwestern New Mexico . It was part of Operation Plowshare , a program designed to find peaceful uses for nuclear explosions. Gasbuggy was carried out by the Lawrence Livermore Radiation Laboratory and the El Paso Natural Gas Company, with funding from

148-525: A 'deterrent' by most governments; the sheer scale of the destruction caused by nuclear weapons has discouraged their use in warfare. Since the Trinity test and excluding combat use, countries with nuclear weapons have detonated roughly 1,700 nuclear explosions, all but six as tests. Of these, six were peaceful nuclear explosions . Nuclear tests are experiments carried out to determine the effectiveness, yield and explosive capability of nuclear weapons. Throughout

222-530: A 50% reduction in property taxes from Otero County, and $ 940,000 in plant training funds from the State of New Mexico. A Sunbaked Biscuits cookie factory opened in 2006 and received $ 800,000 in job-training incentives from the state. When the company went out of business in 2007, Marietta Baking took over the cookie factory and received interest-free loans, job-training incentives, and partial forgiveness of indebtedness for job creation. A branch office of PreCheck Inc.,

296-617: A company performing background checks of health-care workers, opened in 2006. PreCheck received $ 2.4 million in high-wage job creation tax credits, $ 1.5 million in job-training subsidies, $ 1.5 million in capital outlay money for roads and infrastructure, a $ 625,000 allocation from City of Alamogordo for upgrading sewer lines in the area, and 20.8 acres of land from Heritage Group, a developer. The Otero County Film Office, an office of Otero County Economic Development Council, promotes film-making in Otero County by publicizing potential locations in

370-470: A female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.07. In the city the population was spread out, with 28.7% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

444-503: A full-sized back-lit photographic transparency of the Shroud of Turin , a religious relic believed by some to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ . They also feature a working VP8 Image Analyzer , the only one in the world where one can walk in and interact with this old analog computer. This town was founded the same year (1898) that Secundo Pia took the first photograph of the Shroud which started

518-559: A gross payroll of $ 266 million. It indirectly creates another 2,047 jobs with a payroll of $ 77 million. The estimated amount spent in the community, including payroll, construction projects, supplies, services, health care, and education, is $ 482 million. An estimated 6,700 military retirees live in the area. Counting both USAF and German Air Force personnel there are 1,383 active military and 1,641 military dependents living on base and 2,765 active military and 2,942 military dependents living off base. After 27 years of training at Holloman,

592-611: A nuclear test. Nuclear tests have taken place at more than 60 locations across the world; some in secluded areas and others more densely populated. Detonation of nuclear weapons (in a test or during war) releases radioactive fallout that concerned the public in the 1950s. This led to the Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963 signed by the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. This treaty banned nuclear weapons testing in

666-633: A number of annual sports events. The Tommy Padilla Memorial Basketball Tournament is an annual event held in March. It is an adult tournament that raises money for scholarships for Alamogordo High School students. The Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament is a national program that holds a tournament in Alamogordo each year in May. Prior to 2008 it was hosted by the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce, and since then by

740-425: A person is from the blast radius. Nuclear explosions can also have detrimental effects on the climate, lasting from months to years. A small-scale nuclear war could release enough particles into the atmosphere to cause the planet to cool and cause crops, animals, and agriculture to disappear across the globe—an effect named nuclear winter . The first manmade nuclear explosion occurred on July 16, 1945, at 5:50 am on

814-519: A portion of the transcontinental railway that was being constructed in the late 19th century. Initially its main industry was timbering for railroad ties. The railroad founders were also eager to found a major town that would persist after the railroad was completed; they formed the Alamogordo Improvement Company to develop the area, making Alamogordo an early example of a planned community . The Alamogordo Improvement Company owned all

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888-648: A senior citizens' center. Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center is a nonprofit shared military/civilian facility that is also the hospital for Holloman Air Force Base. Tularosa Basin has been inhabited for at least 11,000 years. There are signs of previous inhabitants in the area such as the Clovis culture , the Folsom culture , the peoples of the Archaic period , and the Formative stage . The Mescalero Apache were already living in

962-567: A series of concentric spheres with alternating materials to help boost the explosive yield. In the years following World War II , eight countries have conducted nuclear tests with 2475 devices fired in 2120 tests. In 1963, the United States, Soviet Union , and United Kingdom signed the Limited Test Ban Treaty , pledging to refrain from testing nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, underwater, or in outer space. The treaty permitted underground tests. Many other non-nuclear nations acceded to

1036-577: A variety of information, videos available for viewing and an exhibit of electronic image analysis of the shroud, among other interesting artifacts. The Alameda Park Zoo, the oldest zoo in the southwestern U.S., is located in the city. Several Union-Apache battles were fought near Oliver Lee Memorial State Park . The Toy Train Depot , New Mexico's first railroad museum and home of America's Park Ride Train Museum. A sculpture called "The World's Largest Pistachio"

1110-488: Is Walk Out West, a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) walk held each October in Alameda Park Zoo . It incorporates a health fair , live music, and events for children. An offshoot of this is Dance Otero, an informal approach to ballroom dancing as a form of physical exercise that meets throughout the year. Both programs are run through Otero PATH, a local nonprofit that encourages preventive measures for good health. There are

1184-519: Is a nonprofit organization founded in 1984. Its focus has generally been on job creation and recruiting and expanding businesses in Otero County , including helping them satisfy business regulations in New Mexico and lining up funding. Its role expanded in 2000, when Alamogordo passed an Economic Development Gross Receipts Tax . OCEDC continues to work to attract businesses, but now it also helps develop

1258-466: Is about 10 miles south on U.S. Route 54 , offers camping, hiking, and picnicking. White Sands National Park is located about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Alamogordo along U.S. Route 70 . The area is in the mountain-ringed Tularosa Basin valley area and comprises the southern part of a 275-square-mile (710 km ) field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. The Lincoln National Forest , whose headquarters are in Alamogordo,

1332-424: Is an endorheic , or closed, basin; that is, no water flows out of it. Because of this and because of the geology of the region, water in the basin is hard : it has very high total dissolved solids concentrations, in excess of 3,000 mg/L. The Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility, a Bureau of Reclamation laboratory doing research and development on desalination of brackish water ,

1406-658: Is at McGinn's PistachioLand along U.S. 54 . The Lady of the Mountain Run is held in December at the Griggs Sportsplex. The race consists of a half marathon, 10K, 5K, or corporate cup relay, and raises money for the needs-based Lady of the Mountain Scholarship Fund at NMSU-Alamogordo. Fun run/walks are popular in Alamogordo, although most are one-shot affairs put on as part of some larger event. One recurring event

1480-596: Is held annually at the County Fairgrounds. It features a rodeo, animal judging, food and game booths, and carnival rides. Nonprofit and government agencies set up information booths in the exhibit hall. The Cottonwood Arts and Crafts Festival is put on each Labor Day Weekend in Alameda Park by the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce. It is primarily a showplace for vendors of handmade items, and also features music, entertainment, and food. White Sands Balloon Invitational

1554-636: Is held annually. Hot air balloons launch from the Riner-Steinhoff Soccerplex and from White Sands National Park and float over the Tularosa Basin . New Mexico Museum of Space History is a state museum with the International Space Hall of Fame. Flickinger Center for Performing Arts is a 590-seat theater created in 1988 from a re-purposed movie theater. It hosts concerts and live theatrical performances by touring groups, and

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1628-530: Is located in Alamogordo. The gypsum crystals of White Sands National Park are formed in Lake Lucero . Water drains from the mountains carrying dissolved gypsum and collects in Lake Lucero. After the water dries, the winds pick up the gypsum crystals and distribute them over the basin. Alamogordo has a cool arid climate ( Köppen BWk ) with hot summers and mild winters. Rainfall is low and usually confined to

1702-595: Is publicly accessible via the Carson National Forest, F.S. 357 dirt road / Indian J10 that leads into the Carson National Forest. Following the Project Gasbuggy test, two subsequent nuclear explosion fracturing experiments were conducted in western Colorado in an effort to refine the technique. They were Project Rulison in 1969 and Project Rio Blanco in 1973. In both cases the gas radioactivity

1776-470: Is termed nuclear winter . The idea became popularized in mainstream culture during the 1980s, when Richard P. Turco , Owen Toon , Thomas P. Ackerman, James B. Pollack and Carl Sagan collaborated and produced a scientific study which suggested the Earth's weather and climate can be severely impacted by nuclear war. The main idea is that once a conflict begins and the aggressors start detonating nuclear weapons,

1850-559: Is the White Sands Pupfish , a baseball team that played at Jim Griggs Field from 2011 to 2019, in the independent Pecos League , but did not play in a 4 team, abridged 2020 season hosted in Houston due to pandemic concerns. Alamogordo has numerous small parks scattered through the city, and a few larger ones. Some notable parks include: Not inside the city but nearby are several national and state parks. Oliver Lee Memorial State Park

1924-632: Is the venue for the local amateur group Alamogordo Music Theater. Alamogordo Museum of History collects artifacts related to the history of Alamogordo and the Tularosa Basin. It is a private museum, operated by the Tularosa Basin Historical Society . Among notable items in the collection is a 47-star US Flag ; New Mexico was the 47th state admitted to the Union, and US flags were made with 47 stars only for one month, until Arizona

1998-748: The Flickinger Center for Performing Arts . The NMSU-A Theatre on the Hill produces an annual spring performance for young audiences at the Rohovec Fine Arts Center on the New Mexico State University at Alamogordo campus, and an annual Fall performance for general audiences. The Earth Day Fair is held annually at Alameda Park Zoo . It features a butterfly release, a science fair, activities for children, and information booths from local health agencies and nonprofits. Otero County Fair

2072-569: The Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan and yielded about 400 kilotons. RDS-6s' design, nicknamed the Sloika, was remarkably similar to a version designed for the U.S. by Edward Teller nicknamed the " Alarm Clock ", in that the nuclear device was a two-stage weapon: the first explosion was triggered by fission and the second more powerful explosion by fusion . The Sloika core consisted of

2146-548: The Trinity test site near Alamogordo, New Mexico , in the United States , an area now known as the White Sands Missile Range . The event involved the full-scale testing of an implosion-type fission atomic bomb . In a memorandum to the U.S. Secretary of War, General Leslie Groves describes the yield as equivalent to 15,000 to 20,000 tons of TNT. Following this test, a uranium-gun type nuclear bomb ( Little Boy )

2220-590: The Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert , it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and to the west by Holloman Air Force Base . The population was 31,384 as of the 2020 census . Alamogordo is widely known for its connection with the 1945 Trinity test, which was the first ever explosion of an atomic bomb . Humans have lived in the Alamogordo area for at least 11,000 years. The present settlement, established in 1898 to support

2294-769: The United States Army Air Forces dropped a uranium gun-type device, code-named "Little Boy", on the city of Hiroshima , killing 70,000 people, including 20,000 Japanese combatants and 20,000 Korean slave laborers . The second event occurred three days later when the United States Army Air Forces dropped a plutonium implosion-type device, code-named "Fat Man", on the city of Nagasaki . It killed 39,000 people, including 27,778 Japanese munitions employees, 2,000 Korean slave laborers, and 150 Japanese combatants. In total, around 109,000 people were killed in these bombings. Nuclear weapons are largely seen as

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2368-538: The 20th century, most nations that have developed nuclear weapons had a staged test of them. Testing nuclear weapons can yield information about how the weapons work, as well as how the weapons behave under various conditions and how structures behave when subjected to a nuclear explosion. Additionally, nuclear testing has often been used as an indicator of scientific and military strength, and many tests have been overtly political in their intention; most nuclear weapons states publicly declared their nuclear status by means of

2442-543: The Atomic Energy Commission. Its purpose was to determine if nuclear explosions could be useful in fracturing rock formations for natural gas extraction. The site, lying in the Carson National Forest , is approximately 21 miles (34 km) southwest of Dulce, New Mexico and 54 miles (87 km) east of Farmington , and was chosen because natural gas deposits were known to be held in sandstone beneath Leandro Canyon . A 29 kilotons of TNT (120 TJ) device

2516-603: The City of Alamogordo. The city receives 72% of the entry fees and 5% of the gross proceeds taken in by vendors. The event is held annually at Washington Park in conjunction with Saturday in the Park and Armed Forces Day. In 2009 more than 233 teams participated in the tournament. Several golf tournaments are held each year at Desert Lakes Golf Course, including the Robert W. Hamilton Charity Golf Classic. Alamogordo's sole professional sports team

2590-531: The Extra-Terrestrial , in Alamogordo's landfill. Alamogordo briefly made international news in late 2001 when Christ Community Church held a public book burning of books in the Harry Potter series, and several other series, on December 30. As of 2010, Alamogordo had a total area of 19.3 square miles (50.0 km ), all land. The city is located on the western flank of the Sacramento Mountains and on

2664-557: The Federal government has been a strong presence in Alamogordo ever since. Education has also been an important part of the local economy. In addition to the local school system , Alamogordo is home to the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired , founded in 1903, and a branch of New Mexico State University founded in 1958. The largest non-government employer in the city is

2738-555: The Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center with 650 employees in 2008. Holloman Air Force Base , located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) west of the city limits, is the largest employer of Alamogordo residents, and has a major effect on the local economy. According to some estimates, Holloman accounts for half of the Alamogordo economy. According to the 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs office, as of January 2008 Holloman directly employs 6,111 personnel with

2812-617: The German Air Force left in 2019. They relocated their pilot training to Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas. Future Combat Systems is a wide-ranging modernization project of the US Army . Much of the work will be done at Fort Bliss , with some at White Sands Missile Range and some at Holloman Air Force Base . Alamogordo is expected to get some economic benefit due to its proximity to these three bases. Otero County Economic Development Council

2886-609: The Soviets and "Joe-1" by the US, produced a 20 kiloton explosion and was essentially a copy of the American Fat Man plutonium implosion design. The United States' first thermonuclear weapon, Ivy Mike , was detonated on 1 November 1952 at Enewetak Atoll and yielded 10 Megatons of explosive force. The first thermonuclear weapon tested by the USSR, RDS-6s (Joe-4), was detonated on August 12, 1953, at

2960-523: The Treaty following its entry into force; however, France and China (both nuclear weapons states) have not. The primary application to date has been military (i.e. nuclear weapons), and the remainder of explosions include the following: Two nuclear weapons have been deployed in combat—both by the United States against Japan in World War II. The first event occurred on the morning of 6 August 1945, when

3034-562: The Tularosa Basin when the Spanish came in 1534, and Mescalero oral history says they have always lived there. In 1719, the Spanish built a chapel at La Luz (about 5 miles (8.0 km) from the future site of Alamogordo), although La Luz was not settled until about 1860. The city of Alamogordo was founded in June 1898, when the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad , headed by Charles Bishop Eddy, extended

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3108-529: The U.S. in the Iraq War . In 2019, the German military withdrew from the base. Until the German Air Force left, Oktoberfest was celebrated annually in late September, hosted by the German Air Force at Holloman Air Force Base . The public was invited, and shuttle buses ran between Alamogordo and the base. Alamogordo is the economic center of Otero County, with nearly half the Otero County population living within

3182-561: The United States. Holloman was chosen due to its weather conditions. There was a subdivision called "Little Germany" with houses that had German-style electrical outlets. The Deutsche Schule Alamogordo educated German children, as did the local schools. Additionally area supermarkets had German cuisine . By 1999, there were about 1,110 German dependents and 900 German military personnel in Alamogordo. By 2003 there were about 2,000 Germans in Alamogordo. That year there were tensions between Americans and Germans since Germany chose not to join

3256-409: The atmosphere, outer space, and under water. The dominant effect of a nuclear weapon (the blast and thermal radiation) are the same physical damage mechanisms as conventional explosives , but the energy produced by a nuclear explosive is millions of times more per gram and the temperatures reached are in the tens of megakelvin . Nuclear weapons are quite different from conventional weapons because of

3330-499: The blast center. After an initial surface cleanup effort the site sat idle for over a decade. A later surface cleanup effort primarily tackled leftover toxic materials. In 1978, a marker monument was installed at the Surface Ground Zero (SGZ) point that provided basic explanation of the historic test. Below the main plaque lies another which indicates that no drilling or digging is allowed without government permission. The site

3404-432: The city limits. Alamogordo today has very little manufacturing and has a primarily service and retail economy, driven by tourism, a large nearby military installation and a concentration of military retirees. In 2006 the per capita income in Otero County was $ 22,377 versus per capita income in New Mexico of $ 29,346. Alamogordo was founded as a company town to support the building of the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad ,

3478-465: The city. There were 15,920 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 70.4% White ; 5.6% African American , 1.1% Native American , 1.5% Asian , 0.2% Pacific Islander , 12.1% from some other race , and 4.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32.0% of the population. There were 13,704 households, out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 11.7% had

3552-451: The coldest temperature recorded at Alamogordo being −13 °F (−25.0 °C) during a major cold wave on February 3, 2011. Snow is very rare, with a mean of no more than 4.1 in (0.10 m) and a median very close to zero. The most snowfall in one month was 10.0 in (0.25 m) in December 1960. As of the census of 2020, there were 31,384 people. During the 2000 census, there were 13,704 households, and 9,728 families residing in

3626-403: The construction of the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad , is an early example of a planned community . The city was incorporated in 1912. Tourism became an important economic factor with the creation of White Sands National Monument in 1933, which is still one of the biggest attractions of the city today. During the 1950s–60s, Alamogordo was an unofficial center for research on pilot safety and

3700-543: The county and New Mexico 's film financial incentive programs and by recruiting extras for film productions. It sponsors the Desert Light Film Competition for middle and high school students to encourage learning about the film industry. The 2007 film Transformers spent $ 5.5 million in New Mexico and $ 1 million in Alamogordo. There are two amateur theatrical groups in Alamogordo. Alamogordo Music Theatre produces two musical productions annually at

3774-412: The developing United States' space program. Alamogordo is a charter city with a council-manager form of government. City government provides a large number of recreational and leisure facilities for its citizens, including a large park in the center of the city, many smaller parks scattered through the city, a golf course, Alameda Park Zoo , a network of walking paths, Alamogordo Public Library , and

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3848-463: The eastern edge of the Tularosa Basin . It lies within the Rio Grande rift and in the northernmost part of the Chihuahuan Desert . Tectonic activity is low in the Tularosa Basin. Plants native to the area are typical of the southern New Mexico foothills and include creosote bush , mesquite , saltbush , cottonwood , desert willow , and many species of cactus and yucca . The Tularosa Basin

3922-421: The explosions will eject small particles from the Earth's surface into the atmosphere as well as nuclear particles. It's also assumed that fires will break out and become widespread, similar to what happened at Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the end of WWII, which will cause soot and other harmful particles to also be introduced into the atmosphere. Once these harmful particles are lofted, strong upper-level winds in

3996-435: The form of nuclear fallout. The main health effect of nuclear fallout is cancer and birth defects because radiation causes changes in cells that can either kill or make them abnormal. Any nuclear explosion (or nuclear war ) would have wide-ranging, long-term, catastrophic effects. Radioactive contamination would cause genetic mutations and cancer across many generations. Another potential devastating effect of nuclear war

4070-476: The huge amount of explosive energy that they can put out and the different kinds of effects they make, like high temperatures and ionizing radiation. The devastating impact of the explosion does not stop after the initial blast, as with conventional explosives. A cloud of nuclear radiation travels from the hypocenter of the explosion, causing an impact to life forms even after the heat waves have ceased. The health effects on humans from nuclear explosions comes from

4144-453: The incentive packages that will be paid by the new tax, and a portion of the tax receipts go to fund OCEDC's operating expenses. Formal economic development plans have been adopted by Alamogordo and by Otero County. OCEDC has recruited several new employers by using financial incentives. A 1-800-Flowers call center opened in November 2001 and received $ 1.25 million in city rent abatements,

4218-458: The initial shockwave, the radiation exposure, and the fallout. The initial shockwave and radiation exposure come from the immediate blast which has different effects on the health of humans depending on the distance from the center of the blast. The shockwave can rupture eardrums and lungs, can also throw people back, and cause buildings to collapse. Radiation exposure is delivered at the initial blast and can continue for an extended amount of time in

4292-528: The land, platted the streets, built the first houses and commercial buildings, donated land for a college, and placed a restrictive covenant on each deed prohibiting the manufacture, distribution, or sale of intoxicating liquor. Tourism became an important part of the local economy from the creation of White Sands National Monument in 1934. Construction began on the Alamogordo Army Air Field (the present-day Holloman Air Force Base ) in 1942, and

4366-564: The largest daily rainfall at Alamogordo with 2.60 in (66.0 mm) falling on the 22nd of that month. Temperatures outside of monsoonal storms are very hot during the summer: 89.1 days exceed 90 °F (32.2 °C) and temperatures as high as 110 °F (43.3 °C) occurred on June 22, 1981, and July 8, 1951. During the winter, days are very mild and sunny, but nights are cold, with 32 °F (0 °C) reached on 55.1 mornings during an average winter, although only ten mornings have ever fallen to or below 0 °F (−17.8 °C), with

4440-527: The leading theories about the extinction of most dinosaur species, in that a large explosion ejected small particulate matter into the atmosphere and resulted in a global catastrophe characterized by cooler temperatures, acid rain, and the KT Layer . Alamogordo, New Mexico Alamogordo ( / ˌ æ l ə m ə ˈ ɡ ɔːr d oʊ / ) is the County seat of Otero County , New Mexico , United States. A city in

4514-629: The main U.S. Post Office in 1938. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places . The main entrance portico features frescoes by Peter Hurd , which were completed in 1942. In July 1941, the Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range was established. The Post Office moved out in 1961, and the building was used by a succession of Federal agencies and was known as the Federal Building. The last Federal agency to occupy it

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4588-580: The modern investigation into the Shroud. This is highlighted in the museum. In 1977 in Albuquerque, they held the conference that resulted in the 1978 study of the Shroud with more scientists from New Mexico than any other state. The displayed photograph was created from the 1978 photographs made by Barrie M. Schwortz as part of the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP). The displays include historical background materials, scientific information, kiosks with

4662-431: The monsoon from July to September, when half a typical year's rainfall of 10.63 in (270.0 mm) will occur – although December 1991 did see 5.45 in (138.4 mm). The wettest calendar year has been 1941 with 21.87 in (555.5 mm) and the driest 1952 with 4.85 in (123.2 mm), while the wettest month on record has been September 1941 when 6.94 in (176.3 mm) fell. September 1941 also saw

4736-590: The poverty line, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over. Alamogordo's and Otero County's July 1, 2008, population were estimated at 35,757 and 62,776 respectively by the United States Census Bureau 's Population Estimates Program. Previously Alamogordo had a German community due to the presence of the German Air Force at Holloman Air Force Base ; in 1992 that air force made Holloman its main pilot training center in

4810-623: The railway to the town. Eddy influenced the design of the community, which included large, wide thoroughfares and tree-lined irrigation canals. Charles Eddy's brother, John Arthur Eddy, named the new city Alamogordo ("large/fat cottonwood" in Spanish) after a grove of fat cottonwoods he remembered from the Pecos River area. When Alamogordo was laid out in 1898, the east–west streets were given numerical designations, while north–south streets were named after states. The present-day White Sands Boulevard

4884-400: The troposphere can transport them thousands of kilometers and can end up transporting nuclear fallout and also alter the Earth's radiation budget. Once enough small particles are in the atmosphere, they can act as cloud condensation nuclei which will cause global cloud coverage to increase which in turn blocks incoming solar insolation and starts a global cooling period. This is not unlike one of

4958-455: The vastly greater energy density of nuclear fuel compared to chemical explosives. They are often associated with mushroom clouds , since any large atmospheric explosion can create such a cloud. Nuclear explosions produce high levels of ionizing radiation and radioactive debris that is harmful to humans and can cause moderate to severe skin burns, eye damage, radiation sickness , radiation-induced cancer and possible death depending on how far

5032-417: Was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males. In 1999, the median income for a household in the city was $ 30,928, and the median income for a family was $ 35,673. Males had a median income of $ 28,163 versus $ 18,860 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 14,662. About 13.2% of families and 16.5% of the population were below

5106-508: Was admitted. The Museum shop has a large collection of local history books. The Historical Society also publishes its own series of monographs on local history, Pioneer . American Armed Forces Museum is a museum on U.S. Route 82 near Florida Avenue that opened in 2011. It collects and displays all kinds of military memorabilia from all wars and military engagements. The Shroud Exhibit And Museum, located in White Sands Mall, showcases

5180-449: Was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, with a blast yield of 15 kilotons; and a plutonium implosion-type bomb ( Fat Man ) on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, with a blast yield of 21 kilotons. Fat Man and Little Boy are the only instances in history of nuclear weapons being used as an act of war. On August 29, 1949, the USSR became the second country to successfully test a nuclear weapon. RDS-1, dubbed "First Lightning" by

5254-438: Was placed at a depth of 4,227 feet (1,288 m) underground, then the well was backfilled before the device was detonated; a crowd had gathered to watch the detonation from atop a nearby butte . The detonation took place after a couple of delays, the last one caused by a breakdown of the explosive refrigeration system. The detonation produced a rubble chimney that was 80 feet (24 m) wide and 335 feet (102 m) high above

5328-726: Was still seen as too high and in the last case the triple-blast rubble chimney structures disappointed the design engineers. Soon after that test the ~ 15-year Project Plowshare program funding dried up. In 2011, the United States Department of Energy wrote “It was estimated that even after 25 years of gas production of all the natural gas deemed recoverable, that only 15 to 40 percent of the investment could be recovered.” These early fracturing tests were later superseded by hydraulic fracturing technologies. Nuclear detonation Nuclear explosions are extremely destructive compared to conventional (chemical) explosives, because of

5402-664: Was the United States Forest Service who used it as the headquarters of the Lincoln National Forest until October 2008, when that agency moved to a newly constructed building. In February 2009, ownership of the building was transferred to Otero County government and many government offices were moved from the Courthouse to its new Administration Building . In 1983, Atari, Inc. buried more than 700,000 Atari 2600 video game cartridges, most notably E.T.

5476-586: Was then called Pennsylvania Avenue. With the creation of White Sands National Monument in 1934, tourism began. The Works Progress Administration , a government program created in 1935 in response to the Great Depression, was responsible for the construction of several government buildings in Alamogordo. These include the Otero County Administration Building at 1101 New York Avenue, a Pueblo style building originally constructed as

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