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Continued Japanese Disaster Thread

by ceebs Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 07:19:07 PM EST

For the second time the japanese disaster thread has become too unwieldy

An earthquake estimated at between 8.8 and 9.0 and tsunamis it triggered hit northern Japan yesterday. Among the massive damage caused, given European Tribune's special attention to energy, those affecting installations of the energy industry are of special relevance here. In addition to major fires at LNG terminals, the quake damaged a number of nuclear reactors, and emergency cooling systems didn't work properly, leading to an explosion.

BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake

  1. The government has warned of a possible explosion at a second reactor building at the earthquake-damaged Fukushima 1 power station. But it says the reactor, which contains plutonium as well as uranium, should be protected by its metal casing
  2. More than 200,000 people are being evacuated from the area around Fukushima 1 and its sister plant, Fukushima 2 (both are in Fukushima prefecture)
  3. At least 1,300 people are thought to have died, but police have warned that the death toll in tsunami-hit Miyagi prefecture alone could exceed 10,000
  4. Nationwide, more than 300,000 people have been evacuated
  5. Three US warships are off the coast to help in the Japanese government's huge relief effort
Previous links

European Tribune - Japan disasters open thread

European Tribune - Japanese Earthquake Diary


Display:
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
Radiation levels at Fukushima 1 nuclear plant have again topped legal limits, Kyodo News network says.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 07:19:50 PM EST
Disaster in Japan: Live blog | Al Jazeera Blogs
Radioactive levels at the Onagawa nuclear facility - at least "at the site boundary" - are now back to normal levels, Japanese authorities have told the International Atomic Energy Agency.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 07:20:20 PM EST
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
East Japan Railways has said it is cancelling numerous rush-hour trains, Nikkei adds. Tokyo Metro, one of two subway lines, is reportedly operating trains with longer gaps than usual.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 07:21:06 PM EST
All the Toei subway and surface trains are stopped. On a normal business day, over 28 million people ride public transit in Tokyo!
by Jace on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 08:32:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Yep, Tokyo life is massively disrupted. Lines to trains are massive. There are also rolling 3-hour electricity blackouts announced.

If the civilization is about to be regularly disrupted in close future, this is a preview.

by das monde on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 09:39:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Update on Japan's Nuclear Power Crisis | Union of Concerned Scientists

March 13, 2011, 3:30 p.m.--The nuclear crisis in Japan took a turn for the worse as serious problems developed at a second reactor at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear facility. Earlier concerns were focused on reactor Unit 1, but now the situation at Unit 3 is becoming serious.

Officials from Tokyo Electric reported that after multiple cooling system failures, the water level in the Unit 3 reactor vessel dropped 3 meters (nearly 10 feet), uncovering approximately 90 percent of each of the fuel rods in the core.

Authorities were able to inject cooling water with a fire pump after reducing the containment pressure by a controlled venting of radioactive gas. As with Unit 1, they began pumping seawater into Unit 3. Seawater is highly corrosive and probably precludes any future use of the reactor, even if a crisis is averted.

However, Tokyo Electric recently reported that the water level in the Unit 3 reactor still remains more than 2 meters (6 feet) below the top of the fuel and company officials believe that water may be leaking from the reactor vessel. When the fuel is uncovered by water, it overheats and suffers damage. It is likely that the fuel has experienced significant damage at this point, and Japanese authorities have said they are proceeding on this assumption.



Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 07:22:46 PM EST
I really think, given the events of the past few days, that we should have more serious regulation of organic farming, to prevent the type of social meltdowns now happening in Japan.

If Monsanto was building reactors, you can bet they would be immune to even meteor strikes. Not to mention they would already have the tomato sauce genetically basted in.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 07:35:18 PM EST
I really think if all that comes out of this incident is 160 confirmed cases of radiation exposure, compared with all the chemical contamination from wrecked car batteries or with entire towns of tens of thousands of people being washed out to sea, the nuclear accident will actually be the least of this earthquake's long-term impacts.

You almost sound like you're itching for an actual reactor core explosion.

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 07:44:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Please don't project into my comments.

Please don't assume we have reached the end of "all that comes out of this incident."

Please don't make a disconnect from the reason we assume we can build nuclear plant to the reason there's chemical contamination from wrecked car batteries.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 08:12:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Please don't post errant nonsense such as
I really think, given the events of the past few days, that we should have more serious regulation of organic farming, to prevent the type of social meltdowns now happening in Japan.

If Monsanto was building reactors, you can bet they would be immune to even meteor strikes. Not to mention they would already have the tomato sauce genetically basted in.



So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 09:27:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Sarcasm is still legal, no?

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin
by Crazy Horse on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 03:57:23 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Take this
You almost sound like you're itching for an actual reactor core explosion.
as sarkasm, then.

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:16:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Could this stop already?

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:35:50 AM EST
[ Parent ]
It could.

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:36:49 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I've seen some things in the past few days that I wish I could assume were sarcasm ~ Japan "had it coming" because of Pearl Harbor (US), or because of its materialism (Japan).

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.
by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:18:11 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Tsunami film

News has been showing clips out of this, but as a whole piece its Fairly terrifying

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 07:53:22 PM EST
by das monde on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 09:16:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
One conclusion I would draw from this is a building code to build only concrete/masonry buildings near sea level. Even if all the furniture gets blasted away by the waters, the house itself will stand, and won't function as a projectile to strike the next house. (The mechanism has some parallels with that of avalanches.)

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 03:18:45 AM EST
[ Parent ]
earthquake vs tsunami.

You're much better off in a wooden house during an earthquake. In New Zealand, the building code makes a wooden frame compulsory, because of earthquake risk (yes, even if you build a brick house, it has to have a wooden frame)

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:50:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Japanese castles look the way they do, because the upper levels where people live are wooden frame buildings inserted into post holes in lower stone structures, so that in times of earthquakes the living quarters bounce on top of the more solid foundations.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 09:26:32 AM EST
[ Parent ]
You're much better off in a wooden house during an earthquake

Are you? I thought the 1989 SF and 1994 LA earthquakes had another conclusion. In addition, earthquakes often cause fires, and residential areas with wooden houses can burn down in one big fire, as we have seen in the 1995 Kobe earthquake and in this Japanese quake, too.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:47:15 AM EST
[ Parent ]
One and two story wood frame building in Los Angeles mostly suffered damage if the foundation, masonry, failed or if the ground failed. Cracks might appear in walls and across ceilings, brick fireplaces might fall and reinforced concrete block fences might fall over. This was the case in the Northridge Earthquake of 1994. I was, at the time, 3 miles from the epicenter, and, while it was intitaly classed as a 6.7, IIRCC, it was later upgraded to a 6.9 or a 7.0. Our wood frame one story house was rather easy to repair.

The real danger in Los Angeles was from pre 1933, (Field Act), un-reinforced masonry structures. The Field Act only directly applied to public schools, but, gradually, the building codes were upgraded, especially for multi-story buildings. After the Northridge quake much more emphasis was placed on resistance to lateral motion.

I was just getting together with my wife and we were living in a two story wood frame apartment building in Hollywood during the Sylmar (6.2) Earthquake in Feb. '71. The building performed well. Wood will sway with the motion and also has good strength in compression which helps in upward thrust situations. There were Northridge two story appartment buildings that collapsed in '94. They had parking under the first occupancy floor and that floor above was only supported with posts - no sway resistance. Stupid design will do it every time. Generally, one of the safest places to be in a large earthquake is in a single story wood frame building in a single residence neighborhood.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:05:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
From what I've seen, a distinct majority of Japanese construction falls into one of two categories, at least for residential.  One the one hand, you have prefabricated wood or steel-frame plastic boxes, with entire wall sections pre-made and delivered to the frame site.  On the other, you have reinforced concrete, which seems to be an all purpose material used in every possible situation.
by Zwackus on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:02:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
The stock market in Japan has just opened. A few moments ago the Nikkei was down more than 5% or 500 points, dipping below the 10,000-point level. The Bank of Japan has just announced it is pumping in 7tn yen of emergency liquidity into the financial system.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 08:32:27 PM EST
Shares in Japan's top car-makers have plunged by more than 10% as investors react to plant shutdowns after the quake - AFP.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 09:16:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
IAEA reports latest update on the status of the Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in #Japan: http://j.mp/ea6gqe

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 08:53:38 PM EST
Jerome has a diary over at the Big Orange, wherein he cites this source: Why I Am Not Worried About Japan's Nuclear Reactors.

Now, I am not only in over my head on this, but I don't even have the time to read thoroughly the bare-bones technical literature on the topic.  (I should probably stop here and say no more...).  

Nevertheless, if Jerome sees this or anyone else cares to respond, my question is:  The piece, cited by Jerome reads:

The earthquake that hit Japan was 5 times more powerful than the worst earthquake the nuclear power plant was built for (the Richter scale works logarithmically; the difference between the 8.2 that the plants were built for and the 8.9 that happened is 5 times, not 0.7). So the first hooray for Japanese engineering, everything held up.

However, a somewhat less sanguine author at the Oil Drum cites the following:

The documents were reviewed by Dow Jones. The company said in the documents that 7.9 was the highest magnitude for which they tested the safety for their No. 1 and No. 2 nuclear power plants in Fukushima. Simultaneous seismic activity along the three tectonic plates in the sea east of the plants--the epicenter of Friday's quake--wouldn't surpass 7.9, according to the company's presentation. The company based its models partly on previous seismic activity in the area, including a 7.0 earthquake in May 1938 and two simultaneous earthquakes of 7.3 and 7.5 on November 5 of the same year.

While I realize that "built to withstand" is not the same as "having been tested for", is this nevertheless a discrepancy, and why?

"Beware of the man who does not talk, and the dog that does not bark." Cheyenne

by maracatu on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 09:01:57 PM EST
I just posted this on one of the older threads but feel it deserves attention here too.

The Earthquake Research Institute of Japan posted this fascinating report. What I was amazed to find was that the tsunami first hit land 30 minutes after the main shock

and that it took one hour and ten minutes to reach Sendai Bay!

How could entire trains and towns be washed away given what should have been plenty of time to react?

by Jace on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 09:13:25 PM EST
Watching the tsunami videos I kept thinking to myself, how the hell did they get the airplanes or helicopters into the air fast enough to film the wave? Now I know.
by Jace on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 09:25:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Some say Japan's stunning warning system averted the worst. They were up in 3 minutes, and the waves struck 10-15 minutes later. The scale of the tsunami was harder to make clear.
by das monde on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 09:32:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I think the answer is they were just too close

popular mechanics

The underwater earthquake happens and the seismic waves spread out. Seismic waves are the fastest way to get information out from the earthquake. They travel through the earth and they reach the first seismic stations, which are almost without exception on land. Seismic data reaches the seismic stations and we get it from all over the world here.

There you kind of sit there and wait for the data because even though the seismic waves are fast it still takes finite time to travel to other places. Once we have enough measurements--you need at least four measurements to triangulate--we find the earthquake location, depth, and origin time. We can run our magnitude calculators and say, "Ok process the data, seismic data, and give me an estimate on how big the magnitude is." The one that we [use], the gold standard, is a moment magnitude.

We use a software and send a tsunami warning. It has a couple of questions like "Are you sure you want to do this?" Yes. Boom. And it goes. Then we get more refined estimates in location, particularly of the depth. The depth of the earthquake is kind of hard to constrain. But the more data we get, the easier it gets. The depth is really important from tsunami point of view because say you have an 8.5 earthquake right underneath the surface 10 kilometers deep, which is considered very shallow, that is going to make a huge tsunami. But if you make that 8.5 earthquake 100 km deep, it may not make a tsunami at all, or it may just be a really small one.

By this time, 30 minutes after the earthquake, our attention goes to the water. We start looking at the sea level gauges. Sometimes we have to wait a little while for the tsunami to reach those gauges. The tsunami travels fast but not nearly as fast as seismic waves. The speed depends on the depth of the water. [In] the deepest part of the ocean it is going 600 miles per hour. That's fast, but it's still slow enough that it will take maybe 30 minutes [to] one hour to reach gauges because they are just spread apart.

Our policy is that we put out a supplement message at least every hour and if there is new information we put it in there. If we have measurements for gauges it will go in there. If we have estimated a forecast arrival height based on the models, we will out that in there too. The estimated arrivals times are also in there. We update that as time goes on and if we refine the earthquake location even a little bit we might change it in there too.



Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 09:37:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The seismometers would have picked up a major offshore event in matter of seconds. If the call went out in three minutes that a tsunami is on the way, there still should have been enough time to get people to safety as the affected zone is only a couple of kilometers wide. I still can't see how all the people in a town or whole trains could get swept away. In both cases it sounds to me like they didn't see it coming.
by Jace on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 09:54:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Well they did have earthquake warning,

earthquake warning system- buisnes insider

If you were in Japan on Friday chances are you would have seen this.

It's Japan earthquake warning system that the government spent $1billion to build and includes a network of 1,000 GPS-based sensors spread out over the country.

Considering the devastation that followed it doesn't sound actually sound all that alarming, but according to Alan Boyle at MSNBC it provided "enough time for people to switch off their gas lines and get beneath a table or a door frame."

And was especially helpful to those in Tokyo who were 230 miles from the epicenter and therefore may have had an additional 80 seconds to prepare.

But I assume that three dimensional modelling takes longer, and you need the depth figures to work out wether a Tsunami is likely, I assume you need to take a measurement of multiple surface waves(high speed) and some of the slower subsurface waves that folow more direct paths from multiple sources. It may be that the nearbu monitoring sites failed because their links to the outsideworld went down, it may be that part of the tsunami warning system failed with power outages before the  tsunami impacted.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:20:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
A power outage sounds plausible but surely such a warning system would have some redundancy. Also note how they talk about valuable seconds:

"And was especially helpful to those in Tokyo who were 230 miles from the epicenter and therefore may have had an additional 80 seconds to prepare.
by Jace on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:35:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Thinking as and after I write, not the best strategy especially late at night (how late is it where you are ceebs?). Town could been flattened first, trains derailed, who knows right now. I expected that the tsunami would have arrived five minutes after the shock not thirty to sixty. Very surprised.
by Jace on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 11:03:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
just gone 3 in the morning, must go to sleep soon.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 11:08:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
How could entire trains and towns be washed away given what should have been plenty of time to react?

Warnings won't prevent the washing away, only casualties. And they did: 330,000 people lost their homes, but only a thirtieth of that died.

Japanese seashores are full of high concrete walls meant to keep tsunamis away. So many people could have had false complacency, not realising that this one will be higher than the walls.

I'm not sure about the train. Maybe the next station was too low-level to be suited for evacuation and the driver just drove on.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 03:11:23 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I don't know about complacency - the tsunami warnings were pretty clear and insistent at Mitsushima. OTOH the lines where the trains were carried away were coastal - no way out to higher ground at all on the line. Also, what is the procedure in case of earthquake ? Wouldn't it be to stop the train, as after all the rail line is likely to be broken further away ?

Is it confirmed the trains carried away were still unevacuated ?

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères

by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:42:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
There was a report that the rail company does not know how many people were on those trains.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:47:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Indeed those are commuter trains, so there's no precise passenger lists... But were there still bodies in the wrecked trains ?

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:03:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Urgent: Explosion at Reactor 3 - AFP.
  1. Sea level has dropped five metres off Fukushima, confirming imminent arrival of tsunami - Japanese TV.
  2. Column of smoke escaping from Reactor 3 at the Fukushima 1 nuclear power plant - Japanese TV


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:22:58 PM EST
: Evacuation order issued in the city of Hachinohe in the north-east - Kyodo
0212: Tsunami feared to reach north-eastern coast "in minutes" - Kyodo.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:24:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"Hydrogen blast occurs at Fukushima nuke plant's No 3 reactor" - Kyodo.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:25:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
AFP reports 2 explosions at reactor 3

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:30:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Wait, they're having another tsunami?

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:29:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]
yes 2m spotted by helecopter

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:31:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
sea reported to have dropped 16 feet at the coast near the reactors

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:35:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Oh.

Fuck.

She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre

by ATinNM on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:37:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Is there a simple relationship between the drop in sea level from the drawback and the height of the wave peak?

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:41:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]
5m?

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:37:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
little over 3 meters


She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre
by ATinNM on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:40:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Japanese have 20cm feet?

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:42:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
ATinNM can't do mental arithmetic anymore.

She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre
by ATinNM on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:44:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
4.8 meters

She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre
by ATinNM on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:42:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]
So 5m?

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:43:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Willing to split the difference and call it 4.9 meters, if you are.

:-)


She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre

by ATinNM on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:45:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Japan weather agency says no tsunami has been detected - false alarm

people on the ground are still hearing alarms though

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:41:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Fox news reporter saying definitely no sealevel fall where he was on the coast, near to the edge of the exclusion zone.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:56:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]


So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:36:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
theres now confusion about if a tsunami is on the way or not

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:37:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The wall of a building collapsed as a result of the blast(s) at Reactor 3 - Japanese TV.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:38:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Remember TEPCO claimed the explosion at Unit 1 was caused by an earthquake.

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:40:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
just seen picture, visible flash, and a much larger vertical explosion, but not an instantly visible shockwave. am watching it on a much smaller screen now.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:55:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]
This time some TV stations claim they say it was a controlled explosion... but 9 workers were injured.

This one threw a lot of stuff vertically upwards, which then fell back all around the plant – possibly explains the injuries, and there should be secondary damage.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 03:14:26 AM EST
[ Parent ]
NY Times - Pentagon officials reported Sunday that helicopters flying 60 miles from the plant picked up small amounts of radioactive particulates -- still being analyzed, but presumed to include Cesium-137 and Iodine-121 --

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:33:20 PM EST
TV stations also say that personnel on board the US aircraft carrier nearing Japan got a month's dose, too.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 03:20:05 AM EST
[ Parent ]
2000 bodies reported descovered on the coast of the Miaji prefecture. - Kyodo

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 10:57:55 PM EST
:(

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 02:40:35 AM EST
[ Parent ]
On some TV channel, the NHK reporters were visiting a shelter, when a man came around to ask if his wife is there, wasn't, and the old lady watching over the place apologised for not having time to look further into the matter. That felt real bad...

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 04:51:43 AM EST
[ Parent ]


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 11:00:36 PM EST
sky saying reporters felt the explosion 30 miles away

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 11:01:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
looking at the film on the BBC theres what looks like the whole roof thrown three to four times the height of the adjacent mast/chimneys before it breaks up and comes down as part of the cloud

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 11:14:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
sky reporting7 missing 3 injured in blast

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Mar 13th, 2011 at 11:19:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
NHK WORLD English
The company says the blast injured 11 people.

...Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters that he has received a report that the latest blast has left the container of No.3 reactor intact. He said the likelihood of large volumes of radioactive materials being dispersed in the air is low.



*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 04:53:07 AM EST
[ Parent ]
The explosion with sound:

by das monde on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 04:01:00 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Three bangs? WTF?

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 04:48:49 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I count three as well. There might be some echo from mountains, but hardly triple. And I heard someone mentioning a double blast.
by das monde on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 04:58:41 AM EST
[ Parent ]
In Japanese, there are reports that water level is now dropping in the No. 2 reactor, too. They say they now prepare to prevent a hydrogen explosion there.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 04:56:52 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Water level dropped from 3 m to 2.4 m in one and a half hours. IIRC the rods are 4 m high.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 04:58:08 AM EST
[ Parent ]
TEPCO : Press Release | White smoke around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 3 (2nd release)
At approximately 11:01am, an explosive sound followed by white smoke occurred at the reactor building of the Unit 3. It was believed to be a hydrogen explosion.

According to the parameter, it is estimated that the reactor containment vessel remains intact. However, the status of the plant and the impact of radioactive materials to the outside environment are presently under investigation. (previously announced)

As of 12:00 am, 4 TEPCO employees and 2 workers of related companies have sustained injuries (all of them are conscious) and ambulances are on their way to care for them.

As of 11:44 am, the measured value of radiation dose near MP6 is 20μSv/h and the radiation level remains stable.

TEPCO : Press Release | Occurrence of a Specific Incident (Failure of reactor cooling function) Stipulated in Article 15, Clause 1 of the Act on Special Measures Concerning Nuclear Emergency Preparedness

In response, water injection into Unit 2's reactor were being carried out by the Reactor Core Isolation Cooling System. However, as the Reactor Core Isolation Cooling System failed today, it was determined that a specific incident (failure of reactor cooling function) stipulated in article 15, clause 1 has occurred at 1:25 pm today.
 

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:04:39 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Info graphics from Asahi Shinbun:

The core is the long oval on top, the containment around it, the two 'legs' are the cross section of the torus in which steam is pumped into water, and apparently the venting is from there. On the right, in the bottom image, you see Fukushima Daiichi in red and Fukushima Daini in white. Above it, a drawing of Fukushima Daiichi; the top two squares are No. 5 and 6, then the first red one os No. 1, next to it No. 2 which is next to get seawater, then the second red is No. 3.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:15:26 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Here is another version of the why I am not worried about Japan's nuclear reactors article.

Fukushima Nuclear Accident - a simple and accurate explanation « BraveNewClimate

福島原発事故-簡潔で正確な 5299;説:(東京大学エンジニアリン 2464;在学生の翻訳) (thanks to Shota Yamanaka for translation)

Twitter updates: @BraveNewClimate

New 14 March: Updates and additional Q&A information here and Technical details here

-------------

Along with reliable sources such as the IAEA and WNN updates, there is an incredible amount of misinformation and hyperbole flying around the internet and media right now about the Fukushima nuclear reactor situation. In the BNC post Discussion Thread - Japanese nuclear reactors and the 11 March 2011 earthquake (and in the many comments that attend the top post), a lot of technical detail  is provided, as well as regular updates. But what about a layman's summary? How do most people get a grasp on what is happening, why, and what the consequences will be?

Below I reproduce a summary on the situation prepared by Dr Josef Oehmen, a research scientist at MIT, in Boston. He is a PhD Scientist, whose father has extensive experience in Germany's nuclear industry. This was first posted by Jason Morgan earlier this evening, and he has kindly allowed me to reproduce it here. I think it is very important that this information be widely understood.

Please also take the time to read this: An informed public is key to acceptance of nuclear energy -- it was never more relevant than now.

Anyway, alongside this

There are two diagrams of a BWR reactor:

This one we've seen already

But this one is new to me:



So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:01:04 AM EST
[ Parent ]
If the structure is symmetrical about the vertical axis there is not much more width available for the "core catcher" than was available for the core. ?

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:05:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I presume the "core catcher" is the bulb-shaped bottom of the vessel where the "core" is the vertical cylinder in the upper stem of the vessel.

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:10:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]
That is what I had presumed. It is possible that there are paths not shown in the diagram from the area beneath the core to the torus. I hope so.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:15:34 AM EST
[ Parent ]
From the 3D cutout diagram there should be 6 to 8 "81in diameter vents" (of which we see 2 in the 2D section) from the primary containment to the torus.

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:18:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]
But this diagram shows a concrete wall between the reactor and the vents. The material would seem to have to fill up the area under the vessel before it could get to the vents. It would be nice if they could show a diagram that obviously would work.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 02:06:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I see what you mean, though the 3D cutout does show the cylindrical vents extending all the way to the vertical cylindrical wall around the inner containment vessel.

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:34:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
And, worse, the vents are shown with fans blowing INTO the cavity from which the melted core would be draining. So, WTF are they showing?

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 09:15:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
NHK WORLD English
Prime Minister Naoto Kan has called on the public to reduce electricity consumption to prevent a massive power outage.

Speaking at an emergency disaster task force meeting, Kan urged the public to stay home and to turn off as many electric appliances as possible, even if it is inconvenient.

Kan was referring to the planned rotating power blackouts that will start on Monday.

He also said more than 15,000 people have been rescued in the 3 days since the earthquake and that all-out efforts should be continued.


*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 04:54:08 AM EST
BBC- Japanese authorities say they have safely cooled down two nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daini plant, near the Fukushima Daiichi plant where efforts continue to cool three overheating reactors, local media reports.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:04:40 AM EST
SINGAPORE (AP) -- Oil prices dropped below $99 a barrel Monday in Asia after a massive earthquake and tsunami devastated northeastern Japan, likely denting demand for crude from the world's third-largest economy.
Benchmark crude for April delivery was down $2.28 at $98.88 a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract lost $1.54 to $101.16 on Friday

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:07:56 AM EST
DOST advises the public not to believe in hoax messages, March 14, 2011 | Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines

A March 14, 2011 advisory by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, Department of Science and Technology

  • Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo said the public should not believe in rumors that the alleged nuclear meltdown in "Fukushima," or other places in Japan threatens to affect other places with radiation.
  • The advice circulating that people should stay indoors and to wear raincoats if they go outdoors has no basis and did not come from the DOST or the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Center.
  • The DOST clarifies that there is no immediate danger to the Philippines and advises the public not to believe these rumors currently spreading through text messages, emails, the Internet, and other means of communication.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:17:53 AM EST
No truth to radiation text msg: gov't | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features

The Department of Education, meanwhile, said there will be no cancellation of classes since there is no danger of radiation from Japan reaching the country.

"As advised by the Department of Science and Technology, there is no need to suspend classes based on the allegations circulating in text messages about rains that can burn or cause cancer," the DepEd said.

The department issued the advisory after receiving calls from concerned parents about circulating text messages on the radiation scare.



Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:19:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Disaster in Japan: Live blog | Al Jazeera Blogs
Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett, reporting from the town of Rikuzentakata, says that at least 18,000 people are currently unaccounted for in the area.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:22:09 AM EST
BBC radio saying cooling has failed on a third reactor on the site.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:43:57 AM EST
That would be unit 2 as units 4-6 were down for maintenance at the time of the quake.

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:45:23 AM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
Local media is reporting that water levels have fallen far enough to partly expose the fuel rods at Fukushima's Number 2 reactor - increasing the likelihood of overheating.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:49:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]
units 4-6 were down for maintenance

Thank dog for small favors.

The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman

by dvx (dvx.clt ät gmail dotcom) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:49:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]
See upthread.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:51:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC radio reporter reading from a local newspaper was saying that the risk of a magnitude 9 earthquake on the coast above Fukushima was rated at 99% chance, and south of the site was rated at 90%, however at the site it was rated at 7%

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:54:14 AM EST
Huh?

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:03:50 AM EST
[ Parent ]
... safest spot for maybe hundreds of kilometers around in any direction!

... since pushing the risk factor down after the site was selected would have been wrong!

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:32:54 AM EST
[ Parent ]
AS we have seen.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:08:23 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Disaster in Japan: Live blog | Al Jazeera Blogs
The Tokyo Eelctric company announces it expects to be short of one million kilowatts of power on Monday.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:58:56 AM EST
is on the order of 120 million kilowatts (or 120 gigawatts for the pedants among us)

as calculated from EIA's summary with 2007 numbers

out of a total installed capacity of around 280 gigawatts.

So, if they are 1 GW short today, given that power consumption must be massively down...

they are going to have trouble ramping the economy back up.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:09:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]
it may be that some of the grid infrastructure is down due to the quake, so might be relatively easily brought back online

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 09:23:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Japanese Earthquake Update (14 March 07:00 CET)

Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) has provided the IAEA with further information about the hydrogen explosion that occurred today at the unit 3 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. A hydrogen explosion occurred at unit 3 on 14 March at 11:01AM local Japan time.

 

All personnel at the site are accounted for. Six people have been injured.

 

The reactor building exploded but the primary containment vessel was not damaged. The control room of unit 3 remains operational.

 

The IAEA continues to liaise with the Japanese authorities and is monitoring the situation as it evolves.



Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 06:00:57 AM EST
Japan tsunami: fresh fears after second nuclear explosion - Channel 4 News
Brittle bright day, wind cold from south - bad for radiation drift: second reactor has blown at Fukushima: Four nuke power stations at risk.
Biggest mobilisation of Japanese forces since Second World War: 100,000 on the move. Rescue operation awesome: no Japanese self pity either.
Troops rescue workers steaming up the damaged freeway from every corner of Japan...some driving solidly ever since it happened.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:04:09 AM EST
ReutersBreakingNews (REUTERSFLASH) on Twitter
Fuel rods are entirely exposed at Fukushima Daiichi No.2 reactor; cannot rule out fuel meltdown - Jiji


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:04:48 AM EST
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
Amid the global fallout of Japan's nuclear crisis, Switzerland has suspended plans to replace its ageing nuclear power plants, stressing that safety is its top priority, AFP reports.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:05:37 AM EST
ReutersBreakingNews (REUTERSFLASH) on Twitter
Russian PM Putin says there is no threat of global nuclear disaster from events in Japan


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:08:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Budget Trouble
And like someone said it on Twitter, here is one headline that you'd never see:

Millions of lives saved by good Japanese engineering and strict government building codes.

That's true, the real damage came from the tsunami. The devastation you saw on TV was caused not by the quake, but by surging water. The quake itself, while super strong, didn't cause that much damage.

So from now on, I promise not to complain about Japanese buildings. They are bloody cold in winter and hellishly hot in summer, but they can withstand a magnitude 9 earthquake


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:08:10 AM EST
IN the Tokyo area, I'm willing to bet that the majority of structural damage suffered from the dramatically weaker quake felt there was due to ground instability and liquefaction on the various, massive, Tokyo bay landfill sites.
by Zwackus on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:08:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Is this instant liquefaction, on a Tokyo bay island? Not sure which earthuake is this.

by das monde on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 12:28:32 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Liquefaction occurs when the water table is close to the surface, the soil is unconsolidated fill or dirt and violent shaking occurs. I would say yes, it is liquefaction. Such locations cannot support anything that will not float in water.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 01:19:31 AM EST
[ Parent ]
As of 7 pm Tokyo time, entire fuel rods are now out of coolant, because the emergency pump wasn't working. Now they fixed the pump, or something. Give me a break.

I will become a patissier, God willing.
by tuasfait on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:22:53 AM EST
NHK WORLD English
Tokyo Electric Power Company is battling to cool a reactor to prevent another explosion at its nuclear power plant in quake-hit Fukushima Prefecture.

The utility firm said on Monday afternoon that fuel rods are exposed at the Number Two reactor of its Fukushima Number One plant after the level of coolant water dropped. At around 6:20pm, the power company began pumping in seawater.

Tokyo Electric says it had to halt the process due to fuel loss for the pumping system, possibly leaving the fuel rods in the reactor exposed. The firm says a core meltdown might have occurred.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says that pumping seawater into the reactor is working now.

... The company is also considering opening a hole in the reactor housing building to release hydrogen generated by the exposed fuel rods.


*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:43:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]
fuel rods are bare again at 0:02 Tokyo time. Whoever closed the valve(s) and the internal pressure does not allow seawater in, of course.

This seems to be a communication and control failure. Opening valves, the plant releases contaminated vapor outside. Fearful of public reaction, they may have decided to shut the valve. I am under the impression that the matter is in the hands of capable engineers who are controlled by the timid management who must report to the even more timid bureaucracy, and politicians.

I will become a patissier, God willing.

by tuasfait on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 12:08:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Well, I am under the impression that they are in panic mode...

"People only accept change when they are faced with necessity, and only recognize necessity when a crisis is upon them." - Jean Monnet
by Melanchthon on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 01:13:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
A senior nuclear industry executive has told the New York Times that Japanese nuclear power industry managers are "basically in a full-scale panic". The executive is not involved in managing the response to the reactors' difficulties but has many contacts in Japan. "They're in total disarray, they don't know what to do," the executive added.


"People only accept change when they are faced with necessity, and only recognize necessity when a crisis is upon them." - Jean Monnet
by Melanchthon on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 04:55:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I think both tusfait and Melanchthon are correct.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 09:21:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
Yariv Hastilow in Ibaraki says: "The commercial TV channels in Japan have recently restarted advert breaks, but instead of the usual adverts for consumer goods, they are showing ones for helping your neighbours, recycling, reading books and being polite.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 09:28:16 AM EST
Radioactive Releases at Fukushima Could Last Months - NYTimes.com
Japanese reactor operators now have little choice but to periodically release radioactive steam as part of an emergency cooling process for the fuel of the stricken reactors that may continue for a year or more even after fission has stopped. The plant's operator must constantly try to flood the reactors with seawater, then release the resulting radioactive steam into the atmosphere, several experts familiar with the design of the Daiichi facility said.

That suggests that the tens of thousands of people who have been evacuated may not be able to return to their homes for a considerable period, and that shifts in the wind could blow radioactive materials toward Japanese cities rather than out to sea.

Re-establishing normal cooling of the reactors would require restoring electric power -- which was cut in the earthquake and tsunami -- and now may require plant technicians working in areas that have become highly contaminated with radioactivity.



"People only accept change when they are faced with necessity, and only recognize necessity when a crisis is upon them." - Jean Monnet
by Melanchthon on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:28:00 AM EST
<facepalm>

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:30:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Radioactive Releases at Fukushima Could Last Months - NYTimes.com
When the fuel was intact, the steam they were releasing had only modest amounts of radioactive material, in a nontroublesome form. With damaged fuel, that steam is getting dirtier.

Another potential concern is that some Japanese reactors (as well as some in France and Germany) run on a mixed fuel known as mox, or mixed oxide, that includes reclaimed plutonium. It is not clear whether the stricken reactors are among those, but if they are, the steam they release could be more toxic.

I've read somewhere that reactor n°3 is indeed using MOX.

"People only accept change when they are faced with necessity, and only recognize necessity when a crisis is upon them." - Jean Monnet

by Melanchthon on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:36:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]
If it's going to be a long term issue I expect it would be possible - not easy, but possible - to jury-rig a filter/condenser for the steam.

Longer term there would also be an issue with corrosion. I'd expect there would be a move towards restoring flushing out the sea water and replacing it with de-min coolant again.

I'd guess someone has thought of this already.

What's more of an issue is containment over the next 48 hours. If containment is lost, steam production becomes academic.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:43:16 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Melanchthon:
Re-establishing normal cooling of the reactors would require restoring electric power -- which was cut in the earthquake and tsunami -- and now may require plant technicians working in areas that have become highly contaminated with radioactivity.
At this point, the best option is to build a concrete sarcophagus around the thing. I don't think a year of increasingly polluting releases is better.

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:47:49 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Well, releases are necessary to prevent a too high pressure buildup within the existing concrete containment vessel while cooling the core. A concrete sarcophagus would mean stopping the cooling down of the core, so it would have to be both watertight (or steamtight) and able to withstand high pressure and temperature. And it wouldn't be easy to build in a devastated area.

"People only accept change when they are faced with necessity, and only recognize necessity when a crisis is upon them." - Jean Monnet
by Melanchthon on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:11:05 AM EST
[ Parent ]
The sarcophagus would have to include a giant heat sink, and would still need active cooling. Otherwise the pressure and temperature would continue to build.

Above a couple of thousand K concrete loses its integrity. If the main assembly melted at very high temperatures it could eat its down through the core catcher and into the ground water.

That would be a major fail.

To make the idea practical you'd have to use an industrial ceramic - which might not be the easiest thing to build at short notice.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:37:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Cement is calcined at 1700K, I doubt concrete would survive even 1300K for very long.
by njh on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:28:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
you'd have to use an industrial ceramic

And you would have to get that ceramic UNDER the "core catcher". The "core catcher" will only hold the core if it is dispersed far below criticality and can cool below the temperature that will degrade the concrete. Covering it all with a solution of boric acid will help greatly. I would feel better if the PR idiots at GE and TEPCO could figure out that it is pointless to refuse to talk about meltdown containment when meltdown is occurring and actually release some diagrams that would clearly confirm that they actually do have a working passive containment system.  

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 09:31:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
After all, there is a reason meltdown scenarios were once referred to as "The China Syndrome", though in this case it might be "The Argentinian Syndrome". (I am presuming that corporate policy is that any publicity about meltdowns is bad publicity and that they might be too panicked to rethink the obvious problems with that assumption.)

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 09:35:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Then they should devise a way to run the steam through a water bath in the release cycle so as to wash out particulates - if such a scheme is feasible at scale. It will be the particulates which will produce the most cancers.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:13:19 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I can't see why they hadn't built filter towers, towers filled with crushed rock that is supposed to catch 99,9 % of all radioactivity if you have to vent vapout to reduce the pressure in the containment. All nuclear power plants should be required to have them.

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.
by Starvid on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 01:24:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
On the backup problems, a new version:

Radioactive Releases at Fukushima Could Last Months - NYTimes.com

Christopher D. Wilson, a reactor operator and later a manager at Exelon's Oyster Creek plant, near Toms River, N.J...

...The problem, he said, was that the hookup is done through electric switching equipment that is in a basement room flooded by the tsunami, he said. "Even though you have generators on site, you have to get the water out of the basement," he said.



*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:58:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]
They built the emergency generators of a seaside plant in a floodable basement!?

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 12:41:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
and the guy with a bucket to bail it out no doubt just happens to be on holiday this week

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 12:45:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Nb41 has a comment just up about the sheer number of buckets of water needed to cool this thing.

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 12:53:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Who could have known?

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 09:37:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I once inspected an malfunctioning emergency diesel generator on an oil rig in the Persian Gulf off Abu Dhabi. The generator was located in the open, exposed to the seawater spray, including the electrical and electrics racks. Well, these were supposed to be waterproof, but they weren't (and neither condensation proof)... I had to recommend to build a shed around it to protect it...  

"People only accept change when they are faced with necessity, and only recognize necessity when a crisis is upon them." - Jean Monnet
by Melanchthon on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 01:03:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I've got a year's supply of idiotic-to-dangerous design horror stories.  


She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre
by ATinNM on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 01:03:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]
probably go with my year supply of idiotic user and management stories

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 01:06:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
That's exactly what I was referring to in this comment:

Melanchthon:

They [the generators] must be located in safe places and well protected, and that includes the diesel fuel storage tanks and supply lines, the air intake system, the electric and/or compressed air starting devices, the batteries, the engine cooling system as well as the electric and electronic devices that are supposed to automatically start them and connect them to the pumps whenever there is a power shortage and to pilot them. So if they were flooded, there was no chance they could run for long.


"People only accept change when they are faced with necessity, and only recognize necessity when a crisis is upon them." - Jean Monnet
by Melanchthon on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 12:51:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Radioactive Releases at Fukushima Could Last Months - NYTimes.com

To pump in the water, the Japanese have apparently tried used firefighting equipment -- hardly the usual procedure. But forcing the seawater inside the containment vessel has been difficult because the pressure in the vessel has become so great.

One American official likened the process to "trying to pour water into an inflated balloon," and said that on Sunday it was "not clear how much water they are getting in, or whether they are covering the cores."

The problem was compounded because gauges in the reactor seemed to have been damaged in the earthquake or tsunami, making it impossible to know just how much water is in the core.

And workers at the pumping operation are presumed to be exposed to radiation; several workers, according to Japanese reports, have been treated for radiation poisoning. It is not clear how severe their exposure was.



*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 12:03:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
Concerns about a possible radiation leak from the Fukushima plant have sparked a run on iodine tablets in Finland, AFP reports. The country's nuclear safety chiefs say there is no need for people there to be buying iodine


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:45:36 AM EST
Yawn... It's one thing to remember Chernobyl, but they should have looked at some weather maps first.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:52:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Finns run for iodine after blasts at Japanese nuclear plant
"On Saturday there was a run on iodine, but the situation calmed down and we were able to replenish the stock on Sunday," Yliopiston Apteekki spokesman Jari Kokkonen told AFP.

Kokkonen said that some of their pharmacies in central Finnish cities like Tampere and Jyvaeskylae ran out of iodine completely on Saturday.

He believes the run on iodine was mostly due to people flying to Japan or the region, adding that many travellers had called the company's hotline for advice.



So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:03:13 AM EST
mostly due to people flying to Japan or the region

Ah – I take back what I wrote above.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:54:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
apanese broadcaster NHK is saying that pressure inside reactor 2 at Fukushima rose suddenly when the air flow gauge was "accidentally" turned off. That blocked the flow of water into the reactor leading to full exposure of the rods, it says. That report has not been confirmed.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:37:22 AM EST
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
Japan has officially asked the UN nuclear watchdog the IAEA for experts to help in the current nuclear crisis, AFP reports, citing IAEA chief Yukiya Amano.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:57:07 AM EST
Japan saying the rods are likely melting in all three reactors, per Grauniad.

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to your country.
by Drew J Jones (pedobear@pennstatefootball.com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:59:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
Radiation detected at the Fukushima plant on Monday is twice the maximum seen so far, Kyodo news is reporting citing plant operator Tokyo Electric Power


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 12:01:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Japan in crisis: Live blog | Al Jazeera Blogs

The UN's own disaster management team has arrived in Japan. The team of seven experts from France, the UK, Sweden, India, Republic of Korea and Japan will help authorities with humanitarian assessments and coordinating international relief efforts.

More than a dozen countries have already sent specialist search and rescue teams.

The United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination team "is designed to assist the UN in meeting on site coordination requirements and international needs for early and qualified information during the first phase of a sudden onset emergency. It deploys disaster response experts within 24 hours anywhere in the
world."



Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 12:03:15 PM EST
The Oil Drum | Fukushima Thread: March 14, 2011

Continuing the discussion about the engineering of the Fukushima plant from the previous thread, the BBC is now reporting a whistleblower statement by Masashi Goto, nuclear engineer, that Toshiba (plant builder) knew that the engineering specs were not adequate for a disaster of this magnitude. Looks like this is a classic cost-benefit scenario, where engineers tell management what is necessary, and management makes the decision about the risks they can live with - in order to get the project margin up.

Therefore, it is safe to assume that most "free market" nuclear plants have been built to "seemingly safe" standards, with reasonable assurance that they will not fail for the duration of the rest of the current top management's life, ie. 20-30 years.



Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 12:07:44 PM EST
More evidence that important societal functions should not be run for profit.

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 12:11:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
there is more to life than market eficiency

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 12:12:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
NHK : At 21:37 3130 μSv which was the highest was detected. After that, the figure became lower and it got down to 431.7 μSv at 22:15.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 12:36:12 PM EST
The Oil Drum | Fukushima Thread: March 14, 2011

What is procedure for the workers at the plant itself ? How do they avoid being exposed to high dose of radiation for a long time ? If they they make turns do they have enough people to save what's left working for days or even weeks ? Log in or register to leave a comment jorn on March 14, 2011 - 11:44am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Parent subthread | Comments top

I guess they will be exposed to a lot of radiation. There are rumors, that the workers tried to flee. I can imagine a reason why the military is on site. They might not only be helping the workers.
http://de.indymedia.org/2011/03/302372.shtml (A German translation of an Italian journalist talking about new item that was not supposed to be published in Japanese TV. The news item was about Fukushima workers trying to run away.)



Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 12:42:19 PM EST
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission says that Japan has asked the US for help with cooling its damaged nuclear reactors, Reuters reports.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 01:08:44 PM EST
Has the designer of the reactors, General Electric, said anything about any of this?

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 01:11:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Hindu : Business / Companies : GE hopes Japan disaster won't impact global nuclear plans

The nuclear disaster in Japan's quake-hit Fukushima nuclear power plant could not have come at a worse time for the U.S.-based General Electric Co (GE), which is holding its Corporate Executive Council (CEC) meet in the Capital as part of its plans to seek a major share in the $150 billion expansion of India's nuclear industry over the next decade.

The Fukushima NPP, which has seen two explosions in the last four days after being hit by a massive earthquake and Tsunami, has a reactor installed by GE.

GE chairman and Chief Executive Jeffrey Immelt said here on Monday that it was too early to assess what kind of impact the nuclear accident in Japan will have on the future of the nuclear industry around the globe. "We will offer technical assistance to the Japanese joint venture (JV) partner Hitachi Limited to avert any kind of nuclear crisis," he told reporters here.

Asked about the intensity of earthquakes, the nuclear reactors in Fukushima could withstand, Mr. Immelt, without elaborating on the seismic intensity, said the limits has not been breached so far. On March 4, Japan's strongest earthquake on record at a magnitude of 8.9 struck off the Northeast, triggering tidal waves that engulfed coastal regions and seriously damaged several NPPs.

Both GE and Hitachi of Japan had formed a JV in 2007 hoping to cash in on the global resurgence in the nuclear energy field. However, the latest incident could put pressure on the company. GE's customers in Japan include Tokyo Electric Power, some of whose nuclear facilities are facing a crisis after the natural disaster.



Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 01:16:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I was hoping for some kind of technical guidance about handling the accident. Like aircraft manufacturers do when there is an accident. Not "GE hopes its business won't be impacted".

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:14:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
That was the only thing I could find at all.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 06:04:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Since Neutron Jack, the company is essentially a bank. What did you expect?

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:55:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Japan in crisis: Live blog | Al Jazeera Blogs
Smoke billows from the No.3 reactor at Fukushima nuclear power plant after a large explosion yesterday. Reactor No.1 - at the bottom of the picture - already faced a huge explosion on Saturday, which blew the roof and walls off the outer containment facility.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 01:09:38 PM EST
Institute for Science and International Security > ISIS Reports > Satellite Image Shows Damage to Reactor Buildings at Fukushima Daiichi Complex After Explosions

DigitalGlobe has released a commercial satellite image showing the Fukushima Daiichi reactor complex taken on March 14, 2011.  Damage to the top of the reactor building for Unit 1 as well as damage to the reactor building for Unit 3 following the explosions can be seen (see figure 1).  Steam can be seen venting out from the reactor building for Unit 3. 

Figure 2 is a ground photograph of the site, including the reactor building for Units 1 and 3, from September 2010 for reference.  Figure 3 is a ground photograph of the reactor building for Unit 1 after the March 12 explosion.  The top portion of the reactor building for Unit 1 is damaged in this image.  Figure 4 is a schematic from General Electric showing the reactor building for Unit 1 and the top portion where the blast occurred.



Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 01:25:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Japan earthquake | Page 60 | Liveblog live blogging | Reuters.com
Those satellite images look horrendous. The 3rd reactor looks to have much more damage than the first.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 01:48:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Japan tsunami and nuclear alert - live coverage | World news | guardian.co.uk
London Evening Standard's ridiculous front http://yfrog.com/h3z17vzj


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 01:14:55 PM EST
Interactive: Japanese earthquake aftershocks - World news - Asia-Pacific - msnbc.com
Explore a time-lapse animation of the hundreds of aftershocks to strike Japan following a massive 9.0-magnitute tremblor on March 11


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 01:23:07 PM EST
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
The French ASN nuclear safety authority says the incident at the Fukushima plant could be classed as level 5 or 6 on the international scale of 1 to 7. It is currently rated at level 4


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 02:28:32 PM EST
It appears that, once you start injecting boric acid and untreated seawater into the reactor core, you destroy it. That probably counts as a 5.

If the NY Times is correct and the emergency cooling and venting of steam contaminated with fission products from disintegrating fuel canisters may go on for months, the amount of released radiation could possibly exceed the ranges for a level 5 incident.

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:29:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Japan tsunami and nuclear alert - live coverage | World news | guardian.co.uk

The cooling failure in the Fukushima Daiichi number two reactor was caused by previous the explosion in the number three reactor, knocking out four of the five pumps injecting coolant in.

To avoid a third explosion in reactor number two, similar to those in one and three earlier, operator Tepco is saying it will consider opening a hole in the wall of the building that houses the reactor to release hydrogen. What that implies I don't know but will try and find out.



Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 02:29:17 PM EST
Sounds like a good idea. If feasible, a better plan would be to flood the upper area with nitrogen. That would minimize or prevent hydrogen explosions.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 09:54:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Japan in crisis: Live blog | Al Jazeera Blogs
In this photo, Tokyo Electric Power Co. Vice-President Sakae Muto (R) and other executives of Japan's largest power utility bow to apologise over a crisis at its nuclear power plants in quake-hit Fukushima Prefecture.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 02:30:13 PM EST
Japan tsunami and nuclear alert - live coverage | World news | guardian.co.uk
Nikkei reports that Moody's rating agency is to consider downgrading Tokyo Electric Power company's credit rating, in the day's least surprising news.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 02:47:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
So let me get this straight, a government doesn't precisely follow the prescriptions of a Chicago school slash and burn economy, and their credit rating falls faster than a lift with the cables cut and faulty brakes, but an electric company manages to blow upat least two, maybe three nuclear reactors, and you only consider downgrading their credit rating? and not only that sound really sorry that you have to do it?

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 03:14:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Governments have cooties.

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:30:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Japan tsunami and nuclear alert - live coverage | World news | guardian.co.uk

Charles Williams of the UK Red Cross blogs some of the latest figures that Japan's Red Cross has compiled:

I've just got off a conference call with the Japan Red Cross, who shared with us some headline figures about the disaster and their response to it. Some of them are staggering. All figures are approximate and will no doubt change quickly, but this is a snapshot of the current situation.

The disaster

- 2,000 people confirmed dead

- 10,000 more people expected to be confirmed dead

- 2,000 people injured

- 530,000 people displaced, staying in 2,500 evacuation centres, such as schools and public halls

- 24,000 people still completely isolated and cannot be reached

- 1.2 million homes without power

- 1.4 million homes without water

- 4,700 destroyed houses

- 50,000 damaged houses

- 582 roads cut off

- 32 bridges destroyed



Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 02:46:38 PM EST
Oy vey. And these guys are the best prepared for these sorts of things.
by Jace on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:05:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Japan earthquake | Page 60 | Liveblog live blogging | Reuters.com
UK nuclear expert John Large tells the BBC that the wind direction off the east coast of Japan is moving round to the south, which could take any radioactive plume from the Fukushima plant over the Tokyo region.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 02:50:20 PM EST
Winds are named for the direction from which they blow - at least in English. The reactor is north of Tokyo. ?

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 09:57:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
North north east of the centre.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:00:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Yes. So a south wind will blow the radiation north and probably east.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 12:44:19 AM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
Technicians have resumed injecting seawater into the stricken reactor 2 at Fukushima after a steam vent of the pressure container was opened, Kyodo news agency reports citing Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco).


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 03:21:09 PM EST
The federal German government voided its nuclear reactor running time extension.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 03:36:59 PM EST
Top-down satellite view of Fukushima.

You can see how the roof of Reactor 1 is intact, but 3 looks like a mess - the roof is a pile of girders, and it's venting steam.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 03:39:24 PM EST
I'm more concerned about the apparently damaged sidewalls below the exploded top of the building than the venting. This was definitely a heavier explosion.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 03:45:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Ah Science program on the BBC says Japanese Tsunami warning happened 3 minutes after the quake, but wave hit the shore 12 minutes after the warning.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 03:46:14 PM EST
Japan earthquake | Page 60 | Liveblog live blogging | Reuters.com
www.bousai.ne.jp Just updated at 4:50. Reading 5080nGy/n at Ibaraki. If you hover your mouse over the Prefecture it show the monitoring locations.

Japan earthquake | Page 60 | Liveblog live blogging | Reuters.com

The site that has the real time updates on radiation readings is having trouble handling all the people trying to view it. I won't look at it anymore, the people in Japan need access to that information more than those living outside of it right now.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 04:13:15 PM EST
Japan earthquake | Page 60 | Liveblog live blogging | Reuters.com
5000 nGy is 5uGy (5 micro Grays). Average X-ray is 1.4 mGy (1.4 milli Grays), which is 1400 uGy. i.e. after 280 hours (2 weeks) at 5000 nGy/h, you'll be getting equivalent of one X-ray of radiation.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 04:17:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
A senior nuclear industry executive has told the New York Times that Japanese nuclear power industry managers are "basically in a full-scale panic". The executive is not involved in managing the response to the reactors' difficulties but has many contacts in Japan. "They're in total disarray, they don't know what to do," the executive added.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 04:14:24 PM EST
managers are "basically in a full-scale panic"

Maybe if you had some engineers among the management this wouldn't be the case.

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:32:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Unpossible.

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to your country.
by Drew J Jones (pedobear@pennstatefootball.com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:43:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I can see the press release now

Corporations have a legal responsibility to maximise returns for their shareholders, Employing nuclear engineers in these posts would have a negative impact  on business negotiations with finance houses, and so we have no choice but to employ people that any sane organisation would worry about being in charge of a coffee machine.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 06:15:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Japan in crisis: Live blog | Al Jazeera Blogs

A statement from the US military tells us:

The USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group, which includes the cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), the destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88), and the combat support ship USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10) - along with the guided-missile destroyers USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62), USS John S. McCain (DDG 56), USS McCampbell (DDG 85) and USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) will continue operations off the east coast of Honshu.

An additional destroyer, USS Mustin (DDG 89), is at sea south of the disaster site. In the coming days, USS Ronald Reagan will serve as a floating platform to refuel helicopters from the Japan Self Defence Force, Japan Coast Guard, fire and police - and other civilian authorities involved in rescue and recovery efforts ashore.

Japan in crisis: Live blog | Al Jazeera Blogs

Today, SH-60 helicopters assigned to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 14 and Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 51 - based at Naval Air Facility Atsugi - conducted surveys of the at-sea debris field, and conducted search and rescue missions along the coastline. 

USS Tortuga (LSD 46) with two heavy-lift MH-53 helicopters, is steaming towards Tomokomai on the eastern coast of Hokkaido, where it will arrive tomorrow.  There, it will onload about 300 Japan Ground Self Defense Force personnel, and 90 vehicles, and deliver them to Aomori, on the northern end of Honshu.

USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), USS Essex (LHD 2), with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) and USS Germantown (LSD 42) are en-route to the area from Southeast Asia. They are expected to begin arriving on Wednesday, March 16.

US Navy P-3 "Orion" aircraft from VP-4 in Kadena AFB, Okinawa, are flying missions to survey and assess the debris field at sea.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 04:16:12 PM EST
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
A Russian diplomatic source has told the Interfax news agency that Moscow is "awaiting trustworthy information regarding the situation at Japanese nuclear power plants" from the authorities in Tokyo. The source said Russian officials had not ruled out that the Japanese were playing down the possible threat for fear of causing panic among members of the public. Moscow planned to send seismologists to Japan to assess the situation on the ground so it could be "a thousand times more sure tht everything is safe", the source added.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 04:29:05 PM EST
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
More from Prime Minister Kan: He says he will personally lead operations at the joint response headquarters, which will be based at Tepco's main office in Tokyo. The company earlier said fuel rods at Fukushima Daiichi's reactor 2 were once again fully exposed, just hours after it managed to stabilise a similar emergency.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 05:22:43 PM EST
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
Engineers were having difficulty injecting seawater into the reactor because its vents - necessary to release pressure in the containment vessel by allowing radioactive steam to escape - had stopped working properly, the New York Times reports. However, by Tuesday morning they had succeeded in opening a malfunctioning valve, reducing pressure in the container vessel. They then resumed flooding the reactor with water.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 06:04:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
although engineers had been able to pump sea water into reactor 2 at Fukushima Daiichi, it remained unstable.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 06:05:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Japan tsunami and nuclear alert - live coverage | World news | guardian.co.uk

Despite the insistence of the Japanese government that the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power plant is unlikely to turn into another Chernobyl, nuclear experts are beginning to throw doubt on the accuracy of official information being issued.

They claim that it follows a pattern of secrecy and cover-ups employed in other nuclear accidents, report John Vidal and Damian Carrington of the Guardian.

"It's impossible to get any radiation readings," they were told John Large, an independent nuclear engineer who has worked for the UK government and has been commissioned to report on the accident for Greenpeace International.

The Guardian has also posted a newly released diplomatic cable obtained by WikiLeaks, which records that a high profile Japanese politician told US diplomats that the Japanese government department responsible for nuclear energy - has been "covering up nuclear accidents and obscuring the true costs and problems associated with the nuclear industry".



Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 06:07:05 PM EST
US embassy cables: MP criticises Japanese nuclear strategy | Environment | guardian.co.uk

Cable dated:2008-10-27T08:20:00
C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 002993
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/J, ISN/CTR, ISN/MNSA, ISN/NESS DOE FOR KBAKER, NA-20
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/24/2018
TAGS: PARM, ENRG, TRGY, NRR, MNUC, PUNE, JA">JA">JA
SUBJECT: MP CRITICIZES JAPANESE NUCLEAR PLANS
REF: STATE 107836

Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer; reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

1. (C) Summary: Lower House Diet Member Taro Kono voiced his strong opposition to the nuclear industry in Japan, especially nuclear reprocessing, based on issues of cost, safety, and security during a dinner with a visiting staffdel, Energy Attache and Economic Officer October 21. Kono also criticized the Japanese bureaucracy and power companies for continuing an outdated nuclear energy strategy, suppressing development of alternative energy, and keeping information from Diet members and the public. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the current election campaign law. End Summary.

2. (C) Member of the House of Representatives Taro Kono spoke extensively on nuclear energy and nuclear fuel reprocessing during a dinner with a visiting staffdel, Energy Attache and Economic Officer October 21. Kono, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party first elected in 1996, is the son of Yohei Kono, a former President of the LDP who is currently the longest serving speaker of the House in post-war history. Taro Kono, who studied and worked in the United States and speaks excellent English, is a frequent embassy contact who has interests in agriculture, nuclear, and foreign policy issues. He is relatively young, and very outspoken, especially as a critic of the government's nuclear policy. During this meeting, he voiced his strong opposition to the nuclear industry in Japan, especially nuclear fuel reprocessing, based on issues of cost, safety, and security. Kono claimed Japanese electric companies are hiding the costs and safety problems associated with nuclear energy, while successfully selling the idea of reprocessing to the Japanese public as "recycling uranium." He asserted that Japan's reprocessing program had been conceived as part of a nuclear cycle designed to use reprocessed fuel in fast breeder reactors (FBR). However, these reactors have not been successfully deployed, and Japan's prototype FBR at Monju is still off-line after an accident in 1995.



Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 06:09:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yukio Edano, has said a partial defect has been found inside the containment vessel of reactor 3 at the Fukushima Daaich nuclear power plant, the Kyodo news agency reports


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 06:19:55 PM EST
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
Ecuador's government has sent food and water to the Galapagos Islands after they were affected by the tsunami generated by the earthquake off Japan. Water from the tsunami penetrated up to 0.5km (0.3 miles) inland, causing minor damage to homes and docks, merging a lagoon with the Pacific Ocean and destroying some endangered tortoise nests, the Associated Press reports.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 06:40:11 PM EST
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The U.S. Geological Survey has upgraded the magnitude of Friday's deadly earthquake in Japan to 9.0

The move Monday comes after Japan's Meteorological Agency did the same. It's not unusual for scientists to tweak the magnitude of a giant quake after some number-crunching.



Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 06:47:15 PM EST
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
"NHK showing graphics analyzing aftershocks. Number of aftershocks to #JPQuake not yet flattening out"


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 06:50:26 PM EST
xplosion heard at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi No.2 reactor: Jiji News Agency - Reuters

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:08:23 PM EST
<sigh>

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:09:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The news agency said the blast was heard at 0610 local time on Tuesday (2110 GMT Monday). No other details were immediately announced.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:16:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC reporting local news saying staff evacuated

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:18:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Japan earthquake | Page 67 | Liveblog live blogging | Reuters.com
Operators at Fukushima #2 evacuated. Suppression chamber may be compromised means damage to container vessel. www3.nhk.or.jp


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:20:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Noriyuki SHIKATA (norishikata) on Twitter
There was a blast at Unit 2 of Fukushima Daiichi at 6:10 this morning. Suppression pool seems to be damaged.

Noriyuki SHIKATA (norishikata) on Twitter

The radioactive level near Unit 2 has gone up, but at this juncture, the level is not judged to be immediately harmful to the human bodies.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:24:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Higher radiation levels recorded between plant and Tokyo

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:40:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
all non essential staff evacuated.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:40:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
More details on the reported blast at Fukushima's reactor 2. The explosion is feared to have damaged the reactor's pressure-suppression system, Kyodo says. It adds that "radiation tops legal limit" after the explosion.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:41:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
Tokyo Electric officials are now holding a news briefing. They say the blast at reactor 2 happened "near the pressure vessel". They also confirm that some staff at the nuclear power plant are being evacuated.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:42:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
Tokyo Electric says that 50 employees are still staying at the Fukushima plant


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:50:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Japan tsunami and nuclear alert - live coverage | World news | guardian.co.uk

Officials from Tokyo Electric Power Company, which runs the Fukushima plant, are being grilled at the moment at a press conference.

Journalists are demanding to know if the latest explosion is different from the hydrogen explosions which erupted over the weekend but the officials either appear not to know the true cause of the blast, or have decided to limit the amount of information being released.



Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:51:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Japan tsunami and nuclear alert - live coverage | World news | guardian.co.uk

A rupture may have occurred inside the containment vessel at Fukushima's number two reactor, Japan's NHK public broadcaster is reporting.

Although details are only slowly emerging about the explosion that was heard there a short time ago, technicians have been told to evacuate the area

A nuclear export told the broadcaster that there may have been a radioactive leak as a result of the explosion at the vessel, which is supposed to prevent radiation from leaking out.

The explosion appears to be related to a fault with the suppression pool at the very bottom of the containment vessel. Steam is brought down to the pool and is used to cool the reactor.



Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:53:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Radiation levels outside main gate of Fukushima No1 nuclear plant reported as 16 times normal levels. - Daily Yomuri

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:09:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
Radioactive materials are feared to be leaking at Fukushima, Kyodo reports quoting a safety agency.


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:10:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The explosion appears to be related to a fault with the suppression pool at the very bottom of the containment vessel. Steam is brought down to the pool and is used to cool the reactor.

See here.

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:12:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Now I am really concerned about contamination. The new diagram Mig posted today does not show even concrete below the torus. It appears that the torus is supported on grade.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:25:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Shit shit shit shit shit.

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:32:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
This is much worse that previous explosions. Back then, the radiation exposure was more of a nuisance. Now it seems plain dangerous, ie. might be giving people close to the plant radiation sickness.

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.
by Starvid on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 01:35:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Japan - Vast Devastation - The Big Picture - Boston.com
The vast devastation wrought by the earthquake and resulting tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011, may only be matched by the destroyed lives left in their wake. Few survivors have been found, but families continue to search for their sons, daughters, wives, husbands and friends. Threats of a nuclear reactor meltdown and resulting disaster loom. -- Paula Nelson (51 photos total)


Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:26:40 PM EST
number 24 being particularly mindboggling

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 07:28:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Why I am not worried about Japan'snuclear reactors post has been moved to an MIT website and revised to remove most obvious howlers.

In particular, no mention of a core catcher any more.

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:09:40 PM EST
Hate to say it, but told ya so.

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.
by Starvid on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 01:36:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Martyn Williams (martyn_williams) on Twitter
  1. Tepco erred by starting with apology - making it seem big increase in seriousness - then unable to follow with simple explanation 19 minutes ago via TweetDeck
    • Japan Govt tweet RT @norishikata: Please do not try to physically approach Unit 2 of Fukushima Daiichi for media coverage or other purposes.


    Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
    by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:11:38 PM EST
    Alexandra Witze (alexwitze) on Twitter
    1. NHK commentor: First v serious accident in the history of nuclear power plants here in Japan. #Fukushima 1 minute ago via Twitter for Mac
      • TEPCO has had problems all day keeping the fuel rods at unit 2 covered with water. Last night some rods completely exposed for a while. 3 minutes ago via Twitter for Mac
        • Kyoto U. prof on NHK: Suppression chamber is part of protection wall. Radioactivity leaking a possibility. #Fukushima 5 minutes ago via Twitter for Mac
          • NHK commentor: We can assume radioactivity being released to the outside. #Fukushima 6 minutes ago via Twitter for Mac
            • NHK commentor: Suppression chamber used only in emergencies. "We can assume some damage, some crack." #Fukushima 6 minutes ago via Twitter for Mac
              • NHK commentor: Job of suppression pool is to cool nuclear material. "Might be a crack or something." #Fukushima 7 minutes ago via Twitter for Mac
                • NHK commentor: Suppression chamber is at bottom of container vessel. Its pressure dropped from 3 atm to 1. Indicates poss


                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:14:57 PM EST
                NHK commentor: First v serious accident in the history of nuclear power plants here in Japan.

                First and last?

                So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11

                by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:20:01 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                NHK is saying that the company are saying that one of todays explosions destroyed the roof on one of the spent fuel cooling pools,

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:29:18 PM EST
                im not sure which explosion

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:31:11 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                TEPCO have basically stopped updating their Plant Status on the Press Releases page. They've now move on to Implementation plan of rolling blackout on and after Tue, March 15, 2011.

                So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
                by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:34:42 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                Asahi Shinbun reports a radiation dose reading of 8217 μSv/h at 8:31 am local time.

                *Lunatic*, n.
                One whose delusions are out of fashion.
                by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:41:11 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                Japan in crisis: Live blog | Al Jazeera Blogs
                TEPCO reported that they confirmed 8217 micro Sievert at the front gate of the Daiichi Fukushima Powerplant.
                This is 3 times of what a person normally exposed to in a year in one hour.


                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:44:01 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                "not a level which will immediately harm human health" - TEPCO

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:46:44 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                In another metric: and 6 hours 5 minutes of this gives the maximum annual dose of 50 mSv for power plant workers.

                *Lunatic*, n.
                One whose delusions are out of fashion.
                by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:49:28 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                if You exceed maximum for a year then you're not allowed back for about five years isn't it?

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 09:00:30 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                ah not quite it's your allowed an absolute maximum of twice that over 5 years.

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 09:04:16 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                At 8 am local time, the confirmed death toll stood at 2,414, and police listed 3,118 missing persons. Where I don't get the discrepancy between the second number and the now cumulative tens of thousands reported in the three worst hit cities north of Sendai.

                *Lunatic*, n.
                One whose delusions are out of fashion.
                by DoDo on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:52:27 PM EST
                Japan disaster: Kesennuma hit by quake, tsunami and fire - Channel 4 News
                Boats lie strewn in the road after slamming into Kesennuma, one of the worst-hit parts of Japan. Chief Correspondent Alex Thomson reports on a scene of desolation left by the tsunami.


                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:57:50 PM EST
                BBC News - LIVE: Japan earthquake
                Jonathan Watts, Asia environment correspondent for The Guardian tweets: "Looking for latest info on radiation levels and wind direction before deciding whether to go reporting today. #tsunami #meltdown"


                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 08:59:28 PM EST
                : martyn_williams tweets: "Japan waiting for (PM) Kan. NHK said it would be "message to nation", rather than news conference".

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 09:52:10 PM EST
                No questions taken?

                Maybe they will say "the incident situation has taken a turn not necessarily to Fukushima's advantage".

                So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11

                by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 02:43:20 AM EST
                [ Parent ]
                Japanese PM Kan speaking live on Fukushima now: "Please listen to my message calmly." Uh oh.

                reactor 4 seen fire (what? hope that was a translation error)

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:04:19 PM EST
                20-30k please remain indoors

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:05:02 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                requesting evacuation for everone round the number two plant

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:05:51 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                staff manning the pumps putting themselves at great risk

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:06:45 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                wham message over. 1 question he says  in reply all details from TEPCO. Leaves!

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:08:54 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                Cabinet secretary says  spent fuel in Number 4, hydrogen generated, hydrogen explosion from waste in number 4, and it's on fire, fallen pieces from other explosions have impacted number 4 and has set it on fire

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:10:55 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                they assume that the reaction is radioactive.

                1,2 and 3 injection continuing, believe cooling is effective. need to maintain cooling, and put fire out in 4

                readings 400 miliSieverts at around 2 and 3, and 100 mili round 4

                thats milli not micro at 6 am this morning

                cut 800 staff down to 50 who are purely involved in water injection

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:15:51 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                reactor 4 caught fire before number 2 went pop, its a normal fire, am not sure wether they say hydrogen fire, or structural fire

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:22:32 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                The number 2 reactor is not as stable as number 1 and 3 but the water injection is working "to a certain level"

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:43:57 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                So that's <20km evac zone, 20-30km stay indoors.

                He didn't explain how people are supposed to do that when their homes have been washed away. :-/

                And Daiichi 4 is on fire. But there are no fuel rods in there. (?)

                by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:11:50 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                yep, dont use ventilation, keep windows shut, and dont hang your laundry out outdoors !

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:17:11 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                number 2 theyve heard an explosion, but not seen any rise inradiation when that happened

                heat in 4 might be caused by spent fuel

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:25:08 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                they think the high radiation is a result of the fire at number 4, not as a result of the explosion at number 2

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:26:24 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                a hole has been observed in one of the reactors, but i didnt catch which one

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:28:34 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                Note that the spent fuel pools are likely exposed to the air in units 1 & 3 due to explosions, if the diagrams we have been looking at actually apply. If one of these pools springs a leak....

                I would feel much better if TEPCO released actual diagrams of the structure of all six reactors AND if these diagrams confirmed the scenario in Why I Am Not Afraid... document by a PhD who spent years in the nuclear industry.

                "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

                by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:38:12 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                In Stricken Fuel-Cooling Pools, a Danger for the Longer Term   NYT

                Even as workers race to prevent the radioactive cores of the damaged nuclear reactors in Japan from melting down, concerns are growing that nearby pools holding spent fuel rods could pose an even greater danger.

                The pools, which sit on the top level of the reactor buildings and keep spent fuel submerged in water, have lost their cooling systems and the Japanese have been unable to take emergency steps because of the multiplying crises.

                The threat is that the hot fuel will boil away the cooling water and catch fire, spreading radioactive materials far and wide in dangerous clouds.

                The good news is that the Japanese have a relatively long time to deal with the problem. Nuclear experts estimate the timeline for serious problems that could lead to a reactor meltdown as minutes to hours, and put the comparable time for cooling pools at days to weeks.

                The bad news is that if efforts to deal with the emergency fail, the results could be worse.


                Let us hope that loss of coolant by evaporation from these pools is the worst they have to deal with.

                "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
                by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 12:01:13 AM EST
                [ Parent ]
                Now they will say "see, the reactors were safe, the problem was the spent fuel".

                So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
                by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 02:48:43 AM EST
                [ Parent ]
                From further down the NYT article cited above.

                A 1997 study by the Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island described a worst-case disaster from uncovered spent fuel in a reactor cooling pool. It estimated 100 quick deaths would occur within a range of 500 miles and 138,000 eventual deaths.

                The study also found that land over 2,170 miles would be contaminated and damages would hit $546 billion.

                That section of the Brookhaven study focused on boiling water reactors -- the kind at the heart of the Japanese crisis.

                The threat is considered so severe that at the start of the crisis Friday, immediately after the shattering earthquake, Fukushima plant officials focused their attention on a damaged storage pool for spent nuclear fuel at the No. 2 reactor at Daiichi, said a nuclear executive who requested anonymity because his company is not involved in the emergency response at the reactors and is wary of antagonizing other companies in the industry.

                The damage prompted the plant's management to divert much of the attention and pumping capacity to that pool, the executive added. The shutdown of the other reactors then proceeded badly, and problems began to cascade.



                "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
                by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 12:04:44 AM EST
                [ Parent ]
                This information may cast reports of a fire at No. 2 in a different light.

                "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
                by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 12:06:05 AM EST
                [ Parent ]
                The threat is considered so severe that at the start of the crisis Friday, immediately after the shattering earthquake, Fukushima plant officials focused their attention on a damaged storage pool for spent nuclear fuel at the No. 2 reactor at Daiichi, said a nuclear executive who requested anonymity because his company is not involved in the emergency response at the reactors and is wary of antagonizing other companies in the industry.

                We have not been told about this in over 48h of TEPCO status updates.

                So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11

                by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 02:47:19 AM EST
                [ Parent ]
                Actually, we were told: TEPCO : Press Release | Plant Status of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (as of 9pm March 13th)
                Others - We are currently coordinating with the relevant authorities and departments as to how to secure the cooling water to cool down the water in the spent nuclear fuel pool.


                So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
                by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 09:49:00 AM EST
                [ Parent ]
                Why I Am Not Afraid... document by a PhD who spent years in the nuclear industry

                No, a PhD mechanical engineer with a business risk management specialization whose father was in the nuclear industry.

                So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11

                by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 02:46:10 AM EST
                [ Parent ]
                The mechanical engineer might have been the one to post the article, but the technical part was written by the PhD now at MIT.

                "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
                by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 10:33:16 AM EST
                [ Parent ]
                Actually, no.

                The blogger claimed to be an English teacher of some sort. He's probably an Australian living in Japan.

                Why I am not worried about Japan's nuclear reactors. | Morgsatlarge - blogorific.

                English teacher, F1/ UFC enthusiast. Japan resident,


                So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
                by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 10:39:46 AM EST
                [ Parent ]
                A PhD in Mechanical Engineering, then? I thought the original blog by his relative, Jason, referred to him as having worked in the nuclear industry in Germany.

                "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
                by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 12:44:37 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                No, the PhD mechanical engineer with a business specialization (and fan of financial snake-oil slaesman Jim Cramer) had a father who worked in the nuclear industry. But he's the smartest person the English teacher knows.

                So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
                by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 01:43:32 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                if the diagrams we have been looking at actually apply

                See wikipedia

                the Mark I containment, consisting of a rectangular steel-reinforced concrete building, along with an additional layer of steel-reinforced concrete surrounding the steel-lined cylindrical drywell and the steel-lined pressure suppression torus below. The Mark I was the earliest type of containment in wide use, and many reactors with Mark Is are still in service today. There have been numerous safety upgrades made over the years to this type of containment, especially to provide for orderly reduction of containment load caused by pressure in a compounded limiting fault. The reactor building of the Mark I generally is in the form of a large rectangular cube of reinforced concrete.


                So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
                by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 03:13:05 AM EST
                [ Parent ]
                Speculating: they were so busy trying to cool units 1-3 that they forgot the spent fuel storage pools also required cooling...

                So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
                by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 03:00:17 AM EST
                [ Parent ]
                Units 4-6 were supposed to be on maintenance shutdown before the quake. WT to the power of F?

                So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
                by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 02:44:30 AM EST
                [ Parent ]
                higher levels at onagawa plant, but not at a level that is a threat to health

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:27:23 PM EST
                T @reuters: FLASH - French embassy in Tokyo says weak radioactive contamination could reach Tokyo in 10 hrs from stricken nuclear plant

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:39:25 PM EST
                Advice from Japan TV for Fukushima residents: move to concrete building, stay indoors, do not use air con, discard clothing

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:41:28 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                police rporting 40 cases of theft in the area since the earthquake

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:45:54 PM EST
                reuters comments - Radiation of up to 9 times normal level briefly detected in Kanagawa (11:40) How far are they apart?

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:52:37 PM EST
                thats far side of Tokyo

                Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
                by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 10:53:52 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                Down by Yokohama.

                "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
                by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:47:24 PM EST
                [ Parent ]
                That's here:



                So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11

                by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 02:50:38 AM EST
                [ Parent ]
                Japan in crisis: Live blog  Al Jazeera

                6:11am  Naoto Kan, Japan's prime minister, is setting up a joint nuclear response headquarters.

                Kan, a phsyics graduate and former science and technology minister, says he will personally lead operations at the headquarters, to be located at the main office of the embattled Tokyo Electric Power Company.


                (Local time. GMT + 9hrs.)

                "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
                by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Mar 14th, 2011 at 11:46:09 PM EST
                Radiation from Japan not likely to harm North America

                Posted by: JeffMasters, 12:53 PM GMT on March 14, 2011

                Radiation from Japan's stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has been detected 100 miles to the northeast, over the Pacific Ocean, by the U.S. military. Westerly to southwesterly winds have predominated over Japan the past few days, carrying most of the radiation eastwards out to sea. The latest forecast for Sendai, Japan, located about 40 miles north of the Fukushima nuclear plant, calls for winds with a westerly component to dominate for the remainder of the week, with the exception of a 6-hour period on Tuesday. Thus, any radiation released by the nuclear plant will primarily affect Japan or blow out to sea. A good tool to predict the radiation cloud's path is NOAA's HYSPLIT trajectory model. The model uses the GFS model's winds to track the movement of a hypothetical release of a substance into the atmosphere. One can specify the altitude of the release as well as the location, and follow the trajectory for up to two weeks. However, given the highly chaotic nature of the atmosphere's winds, trajectories beyond about 3 days have huge uncertainties.One can get only a general idea of where a plume is headed beyond 3 days. I've been performing a number of runs of HYSPLIT over past few days, and so far great majority of these runs have taken plumes of radioactivity emitted from Japan's east coast eastwards over the Pacific, with the plumes staying over water for at least 5 days. Some of the plumes move over eastern Siberia, Alaska, Canada, the U.S., and Mexico in 5 - 7 days. Such a long time spent over water will mean that the vast majority of the radioactive particles will settle out of the atmosphere or get caught up in precipitation and rained out. It is highly unlikely that any radiation capable of causing harm to people will be left in atmosphere after seven days and 2000+ miles of travel distance. Even the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, which had a far more serious release of radioactivity, was unable to spread significant contamination more than about 1000 miles.

                ....



                "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
                by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 12:16:27 AM EST
                Japan quake halts physics and space experiments  20:56 14 March 2011  New Scientist

                Some major physics and space activities have stopped in the wake of the Japanese earthquake.

                The human toll and the ongoing nuclear emergency have understandably been the focus of news coverage so far. But news has also started trickling out on how the quake has affected science facilities in Japan.

                Japan's Tsukuba Space Center, about 50 kilometres northeast of Tokyo, has been evacuated due to earthquake damage, Discovery News reports. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) normally uses the centre to control its Kibo laboratory (foreground), which is part of the International Space Station.

                NASA has taken control of Kibo in the meantime. Experiments in the laboratory were reportedly shut down before the centre was evacuated.



                "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
                by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Tue Mar 15th, 2011 at 12:27:49 AM EST


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