LIVE thread & Breaking News ~ Japan

Various | 15 March 2011

[SE Mom]

Latest news from Japan:

From the BBC-

1456: Tepco says it may start pouring water from a helicopter over Fukushima Daiichi's reactor four in the next few days, to cool the spent-fuel pool.

1439: A 30km (18 mile) no-fly zone is in place around Fukushima, says the IAEA.

1436: The IAEA says Monday's blast at Fukushima may have affected the integrity of the containment vessel - there are fears of more serious radioactive leaks if happen.

1435: Following earlier reports, it appears there has been more than one strong aftershock in Japan - AP reports two tremors measuring over 6.0 within three minutes of each other.

Twitter-

-US Geological Survey counts 451 aftershocks since the initial earthquake struck Japan Friday. 238 of them registered magnitude 5.0 or more.

-Despite situations in Japan & Libya, spksmn Jay Carney says Pres Obama's 5-day trip to Brazil, Chile & El Salvador starting Fri night is on.

-FLASH: More U.S. military personnel in Japan testing positive for low-levels of radiation, relief missions to continue - Navy 18 minutes ago via web

[Hatteras]

I saw a video or two where you could see the water rushing over berms and through channels.

In one video, there were two buildings that stood across the street from each other and were about 4 stories high and sitting relatively close to the ocean. There were no taller buildings between them and the ocean.

Early in the video, you could see water wrapping around the buildings at street level and channeling down the street. A minute later, the camera panned back and the water now channeling around the buildings was passing through the oceanside corner window of one building and flowing out the side corner window... on the 3rd floor!

I also saw a video of what looks like a tsunami channel with berms on either side and a road running parallel to the channel and about 10 or 15 feet below the top of the berm. The video starts just as the water is busting over the top of the berm and hitting the street below. There are two large boats (the second looked to be a private yacht about 60 to 70 feet long) and both are being swept over the berm to the street below and crashing into the underside of a bridge.

The other remarkable shot was of a bus in a low-lying area scrambling to get up a hill and just manages to make it up the street just as the water comes rushing in behind it. It’s a little unclear, but I think the back end of the bus actually gets pushed sideways by the water before he gets traction back and scoots up the hill to safety. Either way, there’s bound to be a few stains on those seat cushions.

[winoneforthegipper]

Not to be morbid and all but I wonder how much the TEPCO suits are contemplating Hari Kari right around now?

I know should not have said it but it’s on my mind.

[Fido969]

I guess my point is that they seem to not be acting so much as re-acting and coming up with half-baked solutions off the cuff as each new disaster rears its ugly head.

Well, they flipped to the page in the Operating Manual for "9.1 quake, 30 foot tsumani and loss of generator power" and found:

[mentor2k]

I’m sorry but Jones and Infowars are quacks preying on sensationalism to draw a crowd.

[luckystarmom]

Thanks again for the live thread. Yesterday, there were so many threads all over the place, and it was hard to keep up.

This is much easier to keep up with the news.

Thank you!!

[SE Mom]

:) It’s waaaay too hard to keep up otherwise!

[WestCoastGal]

Question to all

How much radiation would have to leak into the atmosphere for that map posted showing US crops affected?

[rlmorel]

Thanks. In such a grim situation, that sure did make me smile.

Those poor people need a break.

[B4Ranch]

AEA Update on Japan Earthquake

Staff Report
IAEA Flag

Japan Earthquake Update (15 March 2011, 15:30 UTC)

An earthquake of 6.1 magnitude was reported today at 13:31 UTC in Eastern Honshu, Japan. The Hamaoka nuclear power plant is sited an estimated 100 kilometres from the epicentre.

IEC confirmed with Japan that the plant continues to operate safely.

Units 1 and 2 are decommissioned, Unit 3 is under inspection and not operational, and Units 4 and 5 remain in safe operational status after the earthquake.
Japan Earthquake Update (15 March 2011, 14:10 UTC)

The IAEA Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) continues to monitor the status of the nuclear power plants in Japan that were affected by the devastating earthquake and consequent tsunami.

All units at the Fukushima Daini, Onagawa, and Tokai nuclear power plants are in a safe and stable condition (i.e. cold shutdown).

The IAEA remains concerned over the status of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, where sea water injections to cool the reactors in Units 1, 2 and 3 are continuing. Attempts to return power to the entire Daiichi site are also continuing.

After explosions at both Units 1 and 3, the primary containment vessels of both Units are reported to be intact. However, the explosion that occurred at 21:14 UTC on 14 March at the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 2 may have affected the integrity of its primary containment vessel. All three explosions were due to an accumulation of hydrogen gas.

A fire at Unit 4 occurred on 14 March 23:54 UTC and lasted two hours. The IAEA is seeking clarification on the nature and consequences of the fire.

The IAEA continues to seek details about the status of all workers, reactors and spent fuel at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

An evacuation of the population from the 20-kilometre zone around Fukushima Daiichi is in effect. The Japanese have advised that people within a 30-km radius shall take shelter indoors. Iodine tablets have been distributed to evacuation centres but no decision has yet been taken on their administration.

A 30-kilometre no-fly zone has been established around the Daiichi plant. Normal civil aviation beyond this zone remains uninterrupted. The Japan Coast Guard established evacuation warnings within 10 kilometres of Fukushima Daiichi and 3 kilometres of Fukushima Daini.

The IAEA and several other UN organizations held a meeting at 11:00 UTC today to discuss recent developments and coordinate activities related to consequences of the earthquake and tsunami. The meeting was called under the framework of the Joint Radiation Emergency Management Plan of the International Organizations, and this group expects to work closely together in the days ahead.

http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/tsunamiupdate01.html

[Biggirl]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/03/15/drug-stores-report-sudden-increase-potassium-iodide-sales/

Run on potassium iodide pills.

Even on the Drudgereport the main headline is called “Nuclear Snow”.

Unbelievable.

[BuckeyeTexan]

If you liked Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883, you will also probably like these Winchester books.

• A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906
  Unleashed by ancient geologic forces, a magnitude 8.25 earthquake rocked San Francisco in the early hours of April 18, 1906. Less than a minute later, the city lay in ruins. Bestselling author Simon Winchester brings his nimitable storytelling abilities to this extraordinary event, exploring the egendary earthquake and fires that spread horror across San Francisco and northern California in 1906 as well as its startling impact on American history and, just as important, what science has recently revealed about the fascinating subterranean processes that produced it—and almost certainly will cause it to strike again.
  
• The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology
  In 1793, a canal digger named William Smith made a startling discovery. He found that by tracing the placement of fossils, which he uncovered in his excavations, one could follow layers of rocks as they dipped and rose and fell—clear across England and, indeed, clear across the world—making it possible, for the first time ever, to draw a chart of the hidden underside of the earth. Smith spent twenty-two years piecing together the fragments of this unseen universe to create an epochal and remarkably beautiful hand-painted map.

[goodnesswins]

THANKS for doing this....it was getting crazy trying to follow the various threads...

[Persevero]

What’s TEPCO?

[goodnesswins]

THANKs for reminding us (Northwestern US residents)/s

[brityank]

Point to remember is that most buildings are pretty closed up above the ground floor (especially in winter), and the rising water will trap the air inside and lift the building like a cork. Most buildings, unless they're located in tornado/hurricane areas, are not built to be tied down to the ground they stand on. You can see some of that in the videos of the tsunami, like this 6+ minute YouTube:

What an incoming tsunami looks like [HD]

I sure hope and pray those folks at 6:15 got spared.

[HeartlandOfAmerica]

"9.1 quake, 30 foot tsumani and loss of generator power"

I understand the scale of the disaster. But there's a God made problem here, well a couple of them, and a man-made problem here.

I guess I'm just hard-pressed to understand why at the start they couldn't get the pumps activated. Your generators are screwed? Fine, fly in some replacements. You need to get water into the plants? Fine, FLY in some heavy duty pumps to do the job.

I know I'm second guessing here, but from day one I've wondered why they couldnt fly in generators to keep those pumps running.

[little jeremiah]

From the Ticker Forum, one of the best places to get updates from Japan and not idiotic know-nothings.

http://tickerforum.org/akcs-www?post=182121&page=67#new

Status of quake-stricken reactors at Fukushima nuclear power plants
TOKYO, March 16, Kyodo

The following is the known status as of Tuesday evening of each of the six reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and the four reactors at the Fukushima No. 2 plant, both in Fukushima Prefecture, crippled by Friday’s magnitude 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami.

Fukushima No. 1

— Reactor No. 1 - Cooling failure, partial melting of core, vapor vented, hydrogen explosion, seawater pumped in.

— Reactor No. 2 - Cooling failure, seawater pumped in, fuel rods fully exposed temporarily, vapor vented, damage to containment system, potential meltdown feared.

— Reactor No. 3 - Cooling failure, partial melting of core feared, vapor vented, seawater pumped in, hydrogen explosion, high-level radiation measured nearby.

— Reactor No. 4 - Under maintenance when quake struck, fire caused possibly by hydrogen explosion at pool holding spent fuel rods, pool water level feared receding.

— Reactor No. 5 - Under maintenance when quake struck, temperature slightly rising at spent fuel pool.

— Reactor No. 6 - Under maintenance when quake struck, temperature slightly rising at spent fuel pool.

Fukushima No. 2

— Reactor No. 1 - Cooling failure, then cold shutdown.

— Reactor No. 2 - Cooling failure, then cold shutdown.

— Reactor No. 3 - Cold shutdown.

— Reactor No. 4 - Cooling failure, then cold shutdown.

==Kyodo

[flair2000]

FoxNews is also showing an unrealistic dose map. They are showing 400 mSv/hr up to 30 miles from the Fukushima site, and 30 mSv/hr up to 80 miles away. 10mSv is equivalent to 1 rem, so they are showing 40 Rem/hour up to 30 miles away and 3 Rem/hour 80 miles away. Impossible! If the spent fuel pool was completely drained down, exposing every fuel assembly, you might have 40 Rem/hour by the gate, but dose rates would be in the few millirem/hour rate a few miles down the road.

[SE Mom]

[BuckeyeTexan]

Yes, Barry Brook is doing a great job on that site.