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Japan: Earthquake, Tsunami + Nuclear Disasters


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Posted
  • Location: Aldborough, North Norfolk
  • Location: Aldborough, North Norfolk

Anybody remember Chernobyl and the helicopters flying over it. Same today in Japan however they soon gave up. Looks like they are now running out of ideas. Sadly after plan a and plan b fails they don't seem to have a organised plan c. Not good in a high risk area when operating high risk machinery.

The knock effects of the failure are Governments suspending and reviewing nuclear policies the world over.

Death toll still rising although considering the amount of devastation to end up with a final figure 10,000 or less would be an amazing feat.

Hi Pit,

My optimism of last weekend seems rather out of place now. I agree, it's not looking good at all, especially as there has been a warning of possible criticality in the rods that have been EXTRACTED from reactor 4 and should be stored under 16 ft of water

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Posted
  • Location: Near Beverley, East Yorks. (5 metres a.s.l.)
  • Weather Preferences: Something good in all four seasons
  • Location: Near Beverley, East Yorks. (5 metres a.s.l.)

...

Death toll still rising although considering the amount of devastation to end up with a final figure 10,000 or less would be an amazing feat.

Yes, according to today's figures of known dead and missing

their total is around 12,000.

Bad as that is, I thought it would be 10 times that looking at

the mass devastation of urban areas.

BL

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Posted
  • Location: Milton Keynes MK
  • Weather Preferences: anything extreme or intense !
  • Location: Milton Keynes MK

Yes, according to today's figures of known dead and missing

their total is around 12,000.

Bad as that is, I thought it would be 10 times that looking at

the mass devastation of urban areas.

BL

Sadly I think the death count will rise considerably yet :(

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Posted
  • Location: Chevening Kent
  • Location: Chevening Kent

Just had a quick look back at my post from Saturday and although it now sounds rather simplistic but then sometimes experts over complicate things. The containment buildings have been destroyed, the fuel rods are at least partly exposed and have partially melted down. We know at least one containment vessel has been damaged allowing fuel to escape and we have seen ever desperate measures to cool what's left which is getting less with each passing hour.

I have repeated heard that this cannot be another Chernobyl but I have not seen anything to tell me that it won't be?

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Posted
  • Location: Milton Keynes MK
  • Weather Preferences: anything extreme or intense !
  • Location: Milton Keynes MK

I have repeated heard that this cannot be another Chernobyl but I have not seen anything to tell me that it won't be?

I don't think anyone knows for sure but it's more likely to be another Kyshtym if the information given out is correct.

The Fukushima plant has a total of six nuclear reactors - all of which have been affected to varying degree, this picture shows the layout of the site and outlines what workers are facing at each reactor.

post-10773-0-23754900-1300304873_thumb.j

The BBC's Environment correspondent Richard Black says the fact that the focus is now on reactor four - which was not operating at the time of the quake - is a surprise. He has been looking at what might have happened in the reactor and what is being done to save it.......

http-~~-//www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12762608

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Posted
  • Location: Sheffield South Yorkshire 160M Powering the Sheffield Shield
  • Weather Preferences: Any Extreme
  • Location: Sheffield South Yorkshire 160M Powering the Sheffield Shield

Just had a quick look back at my post from Saturday and although it now sounds rather simplistic but then sometimes experts over complicate things. The containment buildings have been destroyed, the fuel rods are at least partly exposed and have partially melted down. We know at least one containment vessel has been damaged allowing fuel to escape and we have seen ever desperate measures to cool what's left which is getting less with each passing hour.

I have repeated heard that this cannot be another Chernobyl but I have not seen anything to tell me that it won't be?

Well either some of the experts haven't a clue what they're talking about or they're playing it down considerably. So far every statement that this can't happen has been proven wrong. The only people who have been right so far are Greenpeace who said from the off the sit is a lot worse than the "experts" are saying as they're trying to cover things up eventually they won't be able.

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Posted
  • Location: Milton Keynes MK
  • Weather Preferences: anything extreme or intense !
  • Location: Milton Keynes MK

Well either some of the experts haven't a clue what they're talking about or they're playing it down considerably. So far every statement that this can't happen has been proven wrong. The only people who have been right so far are Greenpeace who said from the off the sit is a lot worse than the "experts" are saying as they're trying to cover things up eventually they won't be able.

1933: Yukiya Amano, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has said he plans to fly to Japan on Thursday to get further information about the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The BBC's Kerry Skyring says Mr Amano is under pressure to demonstrate his agency is informed and able to communicate a clear picture of what is happening. "At daily press briefings he has been unable to explain why the information provided is so sketchy. As well as flying to Japan to what he says are high level meetings he is creating two teams who will also go there, one with expertise in nuclear safety, the other in radiation protection," our correspondent adds. Asked if the situation at Fukushima was now out of control, Mr Amano said: "It is very serious. The government and operators are doing everything they can. I hope their efforts will be successful."

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Posted
  • Location: Sheffield South Yorkshire 160M Powering the Sheffield Shield
  • Weather Preferences: Any Extreme
  • Location: Sheffield South Yorkshire 160M Powering the Sheffield Shield

1933: Yukiya Amano, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has said he plans to fly to Japan on Thursday to get further information about the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The BBC's Kerry Skyring says Mr Amano is under pressure to demonstrate his agency is informed and able to communicate a clear picture of what is happening. "At daily press briefings he has been unable to explain why the information provided is so sketchy. As well as flying to Japan to what he says are high level meetings he is creating two teams who will also go there, one with expertise in nuclear safety, the other in radiation protection," our correspondent adds. Asked if the situation at Fukushima was now out of control, Mr Amano said: "It is very serious. The government and operators are doing everything they can. I hope their efforts will be successful."

Doesn't install you with confidence does it....

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Posted
  • Location: Milton Keynes MK
  • Weather Preferences: anything extreme or intense !
  • Location: Milton Keynes MK

Doesn't install you with confidence does it....

2027: Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has said it is also concerned about the spent fuel storage pool inside the building housing reactor 3 at Fukushima Daiichi. The pools at both reactors 3 and 4 are reportedly boiling - there may not even be any water left in reactor 4's pool - and unless the spent fuel rods are cooled down, they could emit large quantities radiation. Radioactive steam was earlier said to be coming from reactor 3's pool. If cooling operations did not proceed well, the situation would "reach a critical stage in a couple of days", an agency official told the Kyodo news agency.

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Posted
  • Location: Chevening Kent
  • Location: Chevening Kent

Doesn't install you with confidence does it....

Nope!

The 2 things that stick in my mind is that the designer Mr Goto was very quick to say the plant was not designed to withstand quakes or tsunami's and he should know?

The other is having worked in control rooms(not for neclear pwr)the information being put out and body langauge used is indicitive of 'tell em nowt' and hope we resolve the problem before the crap really hits the fan senario.

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Posted
  • Location: Lower Brynamman, nr Ammanford, 160-170m a.s.l.
  • Location: Lower Brynamman, nr Ammanford, 160-170m a.s.l.

Nope!

The 2 things that stick in my mind is that the designer Mr Goto was very quick to say the plant was not designed to withstand quakes or tsunami's and he should know?

The other is having worked in control rooms(not for neclear pwr)the information being put out and body langauge used is indicitive of 'tell em nowt' and hope we resolve the problem before the crap really hits the fan senario.

So who let them build the thing within such of a short distance of the most tectonically active areas on the planet?

Their PM's outburst earlier might change that.

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Posted
  • Location: Milton Keynes MK
  • Weather Preferences: anything extreme or intense !
  • Location: Milton Keynes MK

The Governor of the Fukushima region has criticised the official handling of the evacuation. Yuhei Sato said the people of Fukushima had reached the limits of "fear and anxiety.

Some interesting comments on the psychological impact of nuclear crises from David Spiegelhalter, professor of the public understanding of risk at the University of Cambridge: "Nuclear issues really tick all the boxes when it comes to peoples' fears. It's been researched very well that it's an area where all the things that make people shudder come to the fore," he tells the BBC World Service. "The idea of some sort of invisible threat, something you can't see - it's associated with cancer, people don't feel in control of it, you cannot just get to the high ground." Prof Spiegelhalter adds that fear is exacerbated by the fact that most people do not understand the science behind nuclear power. "There is a real emotional, gut feeling response to it. And of course it is usually tied in with trust - with trust in authorities, in the electricity company and in what you are being told. And that takes a long time to build up, even in situations when there is no apparent risk. So it's a very tricky issue."

[stuart Blackburn from Osaka writes: "Today, I and other Britons were contacted by the foreign office, and asked to refer to a report from the government's Chief Science Officer for advice. His conclusion was plain; even if the reactors meltdown, we would be in no danger. There is no reason to leave. For me, this was the clear, expert opinion I had been waiting for. I shall not leave Japan. I began to spread the word to friends. Until, that is, I read an article from the New York Times. The reactor blasts have exposed storage pools of spent fuel to the outside. With the cooling systems down, the water covering the fuel is boiling away, and engineers are unable to conduct repairs. Should the water evaporate away, the spent rods could ignite, sending huge volumes of radioisotopes into the air. 100 rapid deaths within 500 miles. Over 100,000 deaths over time. Of course, this is a worse-case scenario."]

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Posted
  • Location: Aviemore
  • Location: Aviemore

Hi all, we're auctioning a place on the storm chase in order to raise runds for Shelterbox who are currently out in Japan providing help and support to those made homeless. If you can it would be great if you can get involved in the auction which you can find here:

Ebay Auction - Bid For A Place On The Storm Chase With Michael Fish

If not though, please help us spread the word!!

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Posted
  • Location: Aldborough, North Norfolk
  • Location: Aldborough, North Norfolk

The Governor of the Fukushima region has criticised the official handling of the evacuation. Yuhei Sato said the people of Fukushima had reached the limits of "fear and anxiety.

Some interesting comments on the psychological impact of nuclear crises from David Spiegelhalter, professor of the public understanding of risk at the University of Cambridge: "Nuclear issues really tick all the boxes when it comes to peoples' fears. It's been researched very well that it's an area where all the things that make people shudder come to the fore," he tells the BBC World Service. "The idea of some sort of invisible threat, something you can't see - it's associated with cancer, people don't feel in control of it, you cannot just get to the high ground." Prof Spiegelhalter adds that fear is exacerbated by the fact that most people do not understand the science behind nuclear power. "There is a real emotional, gut feeling response to it. And of course it is usually tied in with trust - with trust in authorities, in the electricity company and in what you are being told. And that takes a long time to build up, even in situations when there is no apparent risk. So it's a very tricky issue."

[stuart Blackburn from Osaka writes: "Today, I and other Britons were contacted by the foreign office, and asked to refer to a report from the government's Chief Science Officer for advice. His conclusion was plain; even if the reactors meltdown, we would be in no danger. There is no reason to leave. For me, this was the clear, expert opinion I had been waiting for. I shall not leave Japan. I began to spread the word to friends. Until, that is, I read an article from the New York Times. The reactor blasts have exposed storage pools of spent fuel to the outside. With the cooling systems down, the water covering the fuel is boiling away, and engineers are unable to conduct repairs. Should the water evaporate away, the spent rods could ignite, sending huge volumes of radioisotopes into the air. 100 rapid deaths within 500 miles. Over 100,000 deaths over time. Of course, this is a worse-case scenario."]

Two very different scenarios, and, given the drip of information we're getting, people would naturally assume the worst. If I was in Japan today, I would probably want to leave. It is less than a week that I was praising the fact that the japanese would not allow the worst to happne, two things have happened since then.

1) We have to realise that nature will always trump us

2) No one is in overall control of the situation and it's going from bad to worse.

I really do fear the worst

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Posted
  • Location: Milton Keynes MK
  • Weather Preferences: anything extreme or intense !
  • Location: Milton Keynes MK

No one is in overall control of the situation and it's going from bad to worse.

I really do fear the worst

I think you're right sadly - I fear the worst too, I've had a bad feeling about this from the start especially now they seem to have lost technical control of the Daiichi nuclear plant and the disaster that this whole thing is seems to be turning into an even bigger catastrophe by the day.

I've been looking into past nuclear accidents to see where on the scale Fukushima might end up and what are the immediate health effects of exposure to radiation.

Level 7 - Major release of radioactive material. Example: Chernobyl, Ukraine, 1986

Level 6 - Significant release of radioactive material. Example: Kyshtym, Russia, 1957

Level 5 - Limited release of radioactive material. Example: Three Mile Island, US, 1979, and Windscale, UK, 1957

Level 4 - Minor release of radioactive material with at least one death from radiation. Example: Tokaimura, Japan, 1999

Level 3 - Exposure in excess of 10 times the statutory annual limit for workers

Level 2 - Exposure of a member of the public in excess of 10mSv (average annual dose is 1mSv)

Level 1 - Exposure of a member of public above statutory annual limit. Minor safety problems

Exposure to moderate levels of radiation - above one gray - can result in radiation sickness, which produces a range of symptoms. Nausea and vomiting often begin within hours of exposure, followed by diarrhoea, headaches and fever. After the first round of symptoms, there may be a brief period with no apparent illness, but this may be followed within weeks by new, more serious symptoms.

At higher levels of radiation, all of these symptoms may be immediately apparent, along with widespread - and potentially fatal - damage to internal organs. Exposure to a radiation dose of four gray will typically kill about half of all healthy adults.

For comparison, radiation therapy for cancer typically involves several doses of between one and seven gray at a time - but these doses are highly controlled, and usually specifically targeted at small areas of the body.

Radiation dose and Effect

2 mSv/yr (millisieverts per year) - Typical background radiation experienced by everyone (average 1.5 mSv in Australia, 3 mSv in North America)

9 mSv/yr - Exposure by airline crew flying New York-Tokyo polar route

20 mSv/yr - Current limit (averaged) for nuclear industry employees

50 mSv/yr - Former routine limit for nuclear industry employees. It is also the dose rate which arises from natural background levels in several places in Iran, India and Europe

100 mSv/yr - Lowest level at which any increase in cancer is clearly evident.

350 mSv/lifetime - Criterion for relocating people after Chernobyl accident

1,000 mSv single dose - Causes (temporary) radiation sickness such as nausea and decreased white blood cell count, but not death. Above this, severity of illness increases with dose

5,000 mSv single dose - Would kill about half those receiving it within a month

Edited by MKsnowangel
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Posted
  • Location: Chevening Kent
  • Location: Chevening Kent

Thanks for posting the mSv levels and their effects but I am not hearing figures quoted from the Japanese, just that there has been releases but very little on what the levels are say from the plant to Tokyo?

The people of Japan I expect want to hear what the level is above their heads and what harm if any that can cause, wouldn't you ?

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Posted
  • Location: Milton Keynes MK
  • Weather Preferences: anything extreme or intense !
  • Location: Milton Keynes MK

The people of Japan I expect want to hear what the level is above their heads and what harm if any that can cause, wouldn't you ?

Yes, I would !! I'm surprised they can get away with sharing such a little amount of information, the officials must know the levels, the fact they are not quoting figures can't be a good sign, this type of statement just isn't good enough imo....

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Posted
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire
  • Weather Preferences: Winter: Cold & Snowy, Summer: Just not hot
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire

The lack of information being released is appalling. The Japanese people deserve to know what kind of danger they are in.

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Posted
  • Location: Chevening Kent
  • Location: Chevening Kent

This just released:

2255: The IAEA has released information about the temperature of the water in the spent fuel storage pools inside reactors 4, 5 and 6 at Fukushima Daiichi. Spent fuel that has been removed from a nuclear reactor generates intense heat and the water is usually kept below 25C. The IAEA says that the temperature of the pool at reactor 4 was 84C on Tuesday morning. On Wednesday morning, it was 62.7C at reactor 5 and 60C at reactor 6. Current reports say the pools at both reactors 3 and 4 are boiling. Reactor 4's pool may even be dry.

Source BBC live news feeds.

I am sorry but if I heard that and was anywhere near that plant, I would be off!

Just to add another snippet:

2319: The level of radiation detected at the Fukushima Daiichi plant has fallen steadily over the past 12 hours, an official at Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has said, according to the Reuters news agency. A level of 752 microsieverts per hour was recorded at the plant's main gate at 1700 on Wednesday (0800 GMT),

Edited by HighPressure
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Posted
  • Location: Aldborough, North Norfolk
  • Location: Aldborough, North Norfolk

This just released:

2255: The IAEA has released information about the temperature of the water in the spent fuel storage pools inside reactors 4, 5 and 6 at Fukushima Daiichi. Spent fuel that has been removed from a nuclear reactor generates intense heat and the water is usually kept below 25C. The IAEA says that the temperature of the pool at reactor 4 was 84C on Tuesday morning. On Wednesday morning, it was 62.7C at reactor 5 and 60C at reactor 6. Current reports say the pools at both reactors 3 and 4 are boiling. Reactor 4's pool may even be dry.

Source BBC live news feeds.

I am sorry but if I heard that and was anywhere near that plant, I would be off!

I believe it's pool 4 that they are talking of a possible "Resumption of Criticality", so I would think that if there is no water to absorb the neutrons, there must be enough fissile material there to initiate a chain reaction.

very scary and very worrying

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Posted
  • Location: Sheffield South Yorkshire 160M Powering the Sheffield Shield
  • Weather Preferences: Any Extreme
  • Location: Sheffield South Yorkshire 160M Powering the Sheffield Shield

Well no new bad news which I suppose is good news but is it the calm before the storm. Expert on the TV again playing it down. Not sure about water absorbing the radiation either from the melting fuel rods.

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Posted
  • Location: Aldborough, North Norfolk
  • Location: Aldborough, North Norfolk

Well no new bad news which I suppose is good news but is it the calm before the storm. Expert on the TV again playing it down. Not sure about water absorbing the radiation either from the melting fuel rods.

Morning Pit.

Well, the water does absorb Neutrons, Alpha and Beta particles, as long as it's deep enough, but does nothing for gamma radiation.

As you say, no news is god news, lets hope it stays that way.

p.s. by deep enough, 6 ft would do it

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Posted
  • Location: Milton Keynes MK
  • Weather Preferences: anything extreme or intense !
  • Location: Milton Keynes MK

Day 7 - Countdown to Meltdown ?

The search for survivors along the tsunami-ravaged north-eastern coast goes on though nearly a week has passed since the quake. More than 8,000 people are still listed as missing and every day brings to light new bodies. Meanwhile, anxiety over radiation escaping from the crippled nuclear reactors in Fukushima Prefecture continues.

The focus of the nuclear concern is on the Fukushima Daiichi power station and its six reactors (Fukushima Dai-ni, a nearby station with four reactors, has reportedly been cooled down safely). With the cooling system damaged by the quake, accidents have been occurring since Saturday in Reactors 1-4. One of the most worrying situations is in Reactor 4, which along with 5 and 6 had been shut down for planned maintenance before the quake.

Chinook CH47 choppers resumed water drops on the plant at reactor 3 and 4. Defence Minister Toshimi Kitazawa approved the operation as the radiation level was 4.13 millisievert per hour at an altitude of 1,000 feet, Kyodo reports. Yesterday the levels were reported to have fallen from 752 microsieverts per hour at 17:00hrs Wednesday to 338 microsieverts per hour at 05:00 Thursday (local times). The temperature of Reactor 5 is now a growing cause for concern, a Japanese official reports. "The level of water in the reactor is lowering and the pressure is rising," he says. Pressure also is rising again at Reactor 3, the power station operator says - (Reuters). That reactor includes plutonium and uranium in its fuel mix.

The New York Times has an interactive graphic forecasting the plant’s plume path, which shows how weather patterns might disperse radiation from Fukushima over the week.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/16/science/plume-graphic.html?ref=science

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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)

A round up and Q and A from Reuters this morning. The following summarizes what is happening at each unit, and the major risks:

WHICH REACTORS ARE MOST AT RISK?

REACTOR No 3: 784-MW

What is happening:

Helicopters began injecting water into the reactor as authorities reiterated on Thursday that resolving problems at the plant -- the only unit to include plutonium in its fuel mix - was the priority. White smoke coming from the plant could be steam evaporating from the spent fuel pool, the Japan nuclear agency said on Thursday. It said pressure in the reactor was rising again. Radiation readings at the reactor are the highest at the Daiichi complex, TEPCO said on Wednesday.

There was an explosion at reactor 3 on Monday.

- What are the risks:

The major concern is that any steam coming from the plant will carry radiation into the atmosphere. It's not clear where this could be coming from. Chief Cabinet Minister Yukio Edano said on Wednesday there is a "possibility" the primary containment vessel, the first line of defense against a radiation leak, had been damaged, Kyodo reported. The reactors also have a secondary containment building. (see below: CONTAINMENT -- WHAT IS IT?) However, the Japan nuclear agency noted the steam could be coming from the spent fuel pool. That would indicate that water covering the spent fuel is evaporating, which in turn could mean the vapor is carrying off radiation. The spent fuel pool presents a significant radiation risk if its contents are exposed to the atmosphere. When fuel rods are exposed to the air, zirconium metal on the rods will catch fire, which could release radiation contained in the fuel, said Arnie Gundersen, a 29-year veteran of the nuclear industry who is now chief engineer at Fairwinds Associates Inc.

Plutonium is considered more hazardous than uranium.

REACTOR No 4: 784-MW

What is happening:

There is no water in the spent fuel pool and radiation levels are extremely high, the chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in Washington on Wednesday. However, TEPCO said on Thursday that as of Wednesday the spent fuel pool still had water in it.TV on Wednesday showed smoke or steam rising from the facility after flames were seen earlier in the day. The reactor had been shut down for maintenance when the earthquake and tsunami struck. On Tuesday, the spent fuel pool caught fire and caused an explosion. Japan's nuclear safety agency says the blast punctured two holes around 8-metres square in the wall of the outer building of the reactor.

What are the risks:

Exposure of spent fuel to the atmosphere is serious because there is more radiation in the spent fuel than in the reactor, said Gundersen. The spent fuel pool is not inside a containment facility either. "They need to keep water in those pools because the roof over the building housing the pools is already damaged and radiation will escape," he said. The pools contain racks that hold spent fuel taken from the reactor. Operators need to constantly add water to the pool to keep the fuel submerged so that radiation cannot escape. Exposing the spent fuel to the atmosphere will release radiation.

REACTOR No 2: 784-MW

What is happening:

TEPCO plans to run a cable to reactors No 1 and No 2 to try to restore power to the water cooling system, the Japan nuclear agency said on Thursday. An explosion rocked the plant on Tuesday, damaging a suppression pool, into which steam is vented from the reactor to relieve pressure. The roof of the reactor building is damaged, Jiji news agency reported. TEPCO said on Tuesday the fuel rods were fully exposed. An estimated 33 percent of the nuclear fuel rods have been damaged at the No 2 reactor, Kyodo quoted TEPCO as saying on Wednesday. However, on Wednesday, Japan's nuclear agency said the pumping of sea water into the reactor was proceeding smoothly.

What are the risks:

When fuel rods are no longer covered in coolant they can heat up and start to melt, raising the risk of a radiation leak and in a worst-case scenario a full meltdown. The suppression pool is part of the primary containment vessel, which is designed to prevent a leak, but the IAEA said the blast "may have affected the integrity of its primary containment vessel." Still, beyond the primary containment vessel is the containment building, which is also designed to prevent radiation from escaping.

REACTOR No 1: 460-MW.

What is happening:

TEPCO plans to run a cable to reactors No 1 and No 2 to try to restore power to the water cooling system, the Japan nuclear agency said on Thursday. An explosion occurred at the reactor on Saturday. Kyodo quoted TEPCO as saying on Wednesday that an estimated 70 percent of the nuclear fuel rods have been damaged. The Japan nuclear agency said on Wednesday the pumping of sea water into the reactor was proceeding smoothly.

What are the risks:

The IAEA said on Tuesday the primary containment vessel appeared intact. If the fuel rods in the reactor are not covered by coolant, they can heat up and start to melt.

REACTOR No 5: 784-MW

What is happening:

The reactor had been shut down for maintenance at the time of the quake and tsunami.TEPCO said on Wednesday water was being poured into the reactor and that temperatures in the spent fuel pool were rising slightly.

What is the risk:

Reactor 5 and reactor 6 are seen less at risk than reactors 1 to 4.

REACTOR No 6: 1,100-MW

What is happening:

TEPCO said on Wednesday water was being poured into the reactor and that temperatures in the spent fuel pool were rising slightly.

What is the risk:

Reactor 5 and reactor 6 are seen less at risk than reactors 1 to 4.

WHAT ARE THE RADIATION LEVELS, WIND DIRECTION?

Radiation levels were higher than normal but not dangerous, Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said on Thursday.

They were measured at 338 microsieverts per hour at the west gate at 2000 GMT March 16 (5 am local time March 17). If a person stands outdoors for a year, they would be exposed to a radiation level of 400 microsieverts, the agency said. The wind is blowing northwest-to-southeast, toward the Pacific Ocean, Japan Meteorological Agency said.

CONTAINMENT - WHAT IS IT?

Each reactor is surrounded by a primary containment vessel. This is made of strengthened steel four-to-eight inches thick. It provides the most critical line of defense against leaking radiation from the reactor. Should there be a breach, there is another, final line of defense to prevent radiation leaks: a bigger containment building made of steel and concrete. A breach of the containment building would release radiation into the atmosphere.

http://www.reuters.com

Posted Image

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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)

Animated radiation map produced by the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) in Austria:

Posted Image

Up to date map of the local area:

Posted Image

Weather in the crisis region

Currently in a critical region is dominated by a westerly flow. Also, surface winds are increasing from the northwest. Rainfall is limited to the areas of traffic congestion in the northwest of Japan. In the morning, night / day after tomorrow the wind is turning increasingly to southwest. In both cases, the air from the reactor reached primarily on the sea.

Plumes

The dispersion calculations show also currently mainly a transport to the sea. Currently, the cloud of the southeast (see illustrations). As a result, it is towards northeast (see movie). Inhabited areas outside of Japan, which currently is not immediate.

Radiation data / CTBTO

The CTBTO Station in Takasaki / Gunma in Japan reported the detection of many radionuclides. The analysis shows that yesterday's published measurements of 12-13. March 13-14. March were probably contaminated during the treatment. The contamination was due to the penetration of radiation in the building of the station. The data therefore have a wrong time reference. This problem is solved soon. The CTBTO data from Japan will be accessible.

http://www.zamg.ac.at/aktuell/index.php?seite=1&artikel=ZAMG_2011-03-17GMT09:15
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