Trinity Blast Reveals Earth's First Clathrate Crystal in Trinitite
Researchers analyzing red trinitite from the 1945 Trinity nuclear test identified a copper-rich cubic type-1 clathrate—the first clathrate found in nuclear-explosion products—alongside a quasicrystal in the same sample. The extreme, rapidly changing conditions of the blast created unusual crystalline phases, offering new forensic tools and insights into high-energy materials science.