Japanese earthquake / tsunami discussion

Rob A. Bank

davyjose wrote: »

Yes. theoretically, though, this should only contain short-lived radioactive isotopes.

Unfortunately they have detected more than short-lived radioactive isotopes... Cesium has a half-life of about 30.1 years,

"Japan's nuclear agency said there was a strong possibility that radioactive cesium detected at the plant after the blast was from the melting of a fuel rod."

This just gets worse and worse...

Ficheall

Jimmy Garlic wrote: »

Meltdown confirmed..

So now that it's happened... what should people do?
I presume the Japanese population has been informed.
Any risk for mainland China etc?

maquiladora

Vodkat wrote: »

Is anyone watching the live conference on CNN? Im finding it really hard to understand the translator. Can some one fill me in?

Still pumping seawater to no 1 reactor, no longer pumping water to no 3.

maquiladora

Ficheall wrote: »

So now that it's happened... what should people do?
I presume the Japanese population has been informed.
Any risk for mainland China etc?

Its contained.

Jayob10

Jimmy Garlic wrote: »

Meltdown confirmed..



http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20110312D12JFF03.htm

what are the implications of this?

Was chernobyl a nuclear meltdown? Is this Japanese disaster possibly worse?

hope to god its not

Thrill

2318: US nuclear experts warn that pumping sea water to cool a quake-hit Japanese nuclear reactor is an "act of desperation" that may foreshadow a Chernobyl-like disaster, AFP reports.

"The situation has become desperate enough that they apparently don't have the capability to deliver fresh water or plain water to cool the reactor and stabilise it, and now, in an act of desperation, are having to resort to diverting and using sea water," said Robert Alvarez, who works on nuclear disarmament at the Institute for Policy Studies

Sierra Oscar

maquiladora wrote: »

Still pumping seawater to no 1 reactor, no longer pumping water to no 3.

What is the situation with reactor 3?

JONJO THE MISER

CNN must of known about the meltdown hours ago because they said they were evacuating there office staff from Tokyo to China asap.

shadowninty

Ficheall wrote: »

So now that it's happened... what should people do?
I presume the Japanese population has been informed.
Any risk for mainland China etc?

nothing, if they can get the news, no

maquiladora wrote: »

Still pumping seawater to no 1 reactor, no longer pumping water to no 3.

good

andrew

ilovesleep wrote: »

Its to do with japans reconstruction. Its going to cost money. They have invested in a lot of countries. They will need their money back. Something on those lines.

While this may be the case, in terms of magnitude I don't think the world is so dependent on Japanese investment that that a reduction would have a major impact on the world economy.

shadowninty

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

CNN must of known about the meltdown hours ago because they said they were evacuating there office staff from Tokyo to China asap.

either it was to do with the quake risk or publicity stunt

maquiladora

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

What is the situation with reactor 3?

Cooling system failure is all I heard.

ilovesleep

Rob A. Bank wrote: »

Unfortunately they have detected more than short-lived radioactive isotopes... Cesium has a half-life of about 30.1 years,

"Japan's nuclear agency said there was a strong possibility that radioactive cesium detected at the plant after the blast was from the melting of a fuel rod."

This just gets worse and worse...

Oh god almighty!

mgmt

3 Mile Island had a 50% core meltdown and no radiation leak. It might not be too bad.

Jayob10

does the fact theres containment mean that a nuclear meltdown won't be totally catastrophic? sorry for all the silly questions

I have a mate in Tokyo thats why i ask

Cathaoirleach

In future, why don't they bore a 500m hole beneath the reactor core during construction, so that if it does meltdown some day, they can just drop it into the hole and then pour tons of concrete over it?

andrew

Meltdowns aren't a completely runaway uncontrollable process. What they should say is that some melting has occurred, that'd be more accurate.

maquiladora

Twitter reporting major aftershock, no mag yet....

AskMyChocolate

BrookieD wrote: »

Does anyone know of anybody flying over to offer some kind of assistance, if so please pm me details or help me find some as i would like to offer myself to go over for a short while to help locals in any way i can......

cheers

It's a lovely sentiment mate but the best way we can help is by using our small amount of influence and sway in the UN to make sure that all necessary troops/Red Cross are deployed and to make sure that all trade/social/economic talks with deadlines in which Japan may have been involved will be deferred until such time as they are ready to deal with them. In effect, to clear their desk and look after it until such time as they're ready to return.

MagicSean

Thrill wrote: »

2318: US nuclear experts warn that pumping sea water to cool a quake-hit Japanese nuclear reactor is an "act of desperation" that may foreshadow a Chernobyl-like disaster, AFP reports.

"The situation has become desperate enough that they apparently don't have the capability to deliver fresh water or plain water to cool the reactor and stabilise it, and now, in an act of desperation, are having to resort to diverting and using sea water," said Robert Alvarez, who works on nuclear disarmament at the Institute for Policy Studies

I think it's more a case of them deciding the reactor is beyond future repair and sea water is much more accessible at the moment.

Jimmy Garlic

Ficheall wrote: »

So now that it's happened... what should people do?
I presume the Japanese population has been informed.
Any risk for mainland China etc?

I think the Japanese govt is trying to avoid mass hysteria at the moment and are evacuating people as fast as they can from the surrounding area. Of course all evacuation efforts will be hampered by the devastation of infrastructure. It is all down to the wind now

Turtwig

andrew wrote: »

Meltdowns aren't a completely runaway uncontrollable process. What they should say is that some melting has occurred, that'd be more accurate.

Yeah it's just a word that reverberates well in media "meltdown".:(

andrew

Jayob10 wrote: »

does the fact theres containment mean that a nuclear meltdown won't be totally catastrophic? sorry for all the silly questions

I have a mate in Tokyo thats why i ask

Yes. It'd have to melt right through the containment or cause an explosion which breaks the containment in order to cause major environmental damage. And even then, people tend to overestimate how harmful radiation really is. It takes a lot of radiation to kill someone.

Ficheall

Jimmy Garlic wrote: »

I think the Japanese govt is trying to avoid mass hysteria at the moment and are evacuating people as fast as they can from the surrounding area. Of course all evacuation efforts will be hampered by the devastation of infrastructure. It is all down to the wind now

I'd feel more reassured if the Japanese weren't so ridiculously into the whole "saving face" thing..

gman2k

NHK have reported that authorities have admitted that fuel has partially melted (I believe they are still talking about reactor no 1.
This may not be new news, as it seems there is a lot of repetition going on in NHK

kevin12345

Major aftershock just there, woman on CNN who is in Japan said it was way stronger than the 6.3 an hour ago.

Thrill

1. 2326: The Japanese cabinet secretary, Yukio Edano, has been speaking on state TV. He said the third reactor at the Fukushima No. I plant was in danger but attempts were under way for a controlled release of air.
   
   

ilovesleep

maquiladora wrote: »

Twitter reporting major aftershock, no mag yet....

Oh my god - it gets worse for them

Turtwig

Jayob10 wrote: »

does the fact theres containment mean that a nuclear meltdown won't be totally catastrophic? sorry for all the silly questions

I have a mate in Tokyo thats why i ask

Yeah worse case scenario (assuming no core has already being exposed to air) is that sea bears the brunt of radioactive material.

karma_

What is the worst case scenario with this, is it more of a release of radiation or is some kind of further explosion a possibility?