Bannister Crater

The Fort Bannister ground zero is an unmarked location in Fallout 3, to the east of Fort Bannister.

Layout
The entire area is pock-marked with craters, a favorite resting place for radscorpions. While the small craters hold nothing of value, the massive one contains an overturned military truck as well as a safe behind the truck's cab and in front of that safe is some RadAway.

It's unknown what created the craters, as a nuclear weapon couldn't create such a crater unless it was underground. However, the satellite nuclear strike, similar to the Highwater-Trousers or Bradley-Hercules, may do this sort of damage. What may have created the crater is a meteor, especially since there are several smaller craters around, or another possibility being that they may have been caused by crashing satellites.

The main crater has also two ditches, or tails, on each side. A crashing plane armed with nuclear weapons or a nuclear payload may have caused the ditches, with a large piece of debris sliding through the dirt forming the other ditch. Another suggestion is that a U.S military bomber leaving to bomb China may have been struck by an EMP emitted by a nuclear weapon and crashed, resulting in the crater. There may have also been an alien craft crash, or some alien activity.

After The Waters of Life, an Enclave detachment will establish an outpost overlooking the large crater. This camp usually consists of several Enclave soldiers, an Enclave officer, and an automated turret. A single Enclave scientist will be investigating the truck at the bottom.

Appearances
Fort Bannister ground zero appears only in Fallout 3.