8.9 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Japan

[sdhonda]

Stratfor points out that the chances of a Chernobyl type incident are quite low: the surrounding area is lightly populated and the winds blow east. And that's assuming anything serious happens.

They also point out that because of the earthquake, pretty much all of the reactors in the country have to be shut down and inspected anyway. And since Japan gets something like a third of juice from nuclear power...

EDIT:

Never have more than one-quarter of Japan’s reactors been offline simultaneously, but the shift in energy inputs increased the country’s oil intake by as much as 500,000 barrels per day. That is something that could stress global oil supplies to the limit because of Middle Eastern unrest.

[empath]

A plot of tsunami amplitude over the last 24hrs of propogation (courtesy of NOAA)


And typical of government burro-crats, they're not only burying their heads in the sand, they're gonna stop buying sand, too.



Oh, and here's another angle of view on 'the unzipped road':

[Bananafish]

whoa that's totally the head of a phoenix or something

[Bananafish]

a disgruntled lion

[gcninja]

AND ITS EATING AUSTRALIA! OMG! RUUUUUUUUN

[Bananafish]

Apparently there are traffic jams in california because people are driving towards the coast to take pictures

wha-

A 25-year-old man was swept into the Pacific Ocean near the Klamath River in Del Norte County in Northern California. The man and two friends reportedly traveled to the shoreline to take photos of the incoming tsunami waves, Lt. Todd Vorenkamp said. His friends made it back to shore safely.

[JustAName]

This state is filled with dumbasses.

[Bananafish]

http://english.kyodonews.jp/

BREAKING NEWS: Pressure successfully released from Fukushima No. 1 reactor: agency

Japan fears nuclear plant meltdown

Steam containing low-level radiation were released to relieve pressure and tens of thousands of residents have been evacuated from surrounding areas.

Radiation 1,000 times above normal was detected in the control room of one plant, although authorities said levels outside the facility's gates were only eight times above normal, spelling "no immediate health hazard".

The 8.9 quake and the tsunami cut the supply of off-site power to the plant and diesel generators intended to provide back-up electricity to the cooling system.

"The events that occurred at these plants, which is the loss of both offsite power and onsite power, is one of the rarest events to happen in a nuclear power plant, and all indications are that the Japanese do not have the situation under control," "Edwin Lyman, a nuclear expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a US-based nonprofit organisation, said.

[Evil Jim]

Last night I watched transfixed for what felt like 5-10 minutes news footage of just one wave of the tsunami rolling inland for miles. On the forefront of it was this one little boat. I couldn't help wondering if it was manned, & imagining what it would be like to be on it, racing past farmland & buildings & bridges jammed with cars.

I later heard news that millions were without power & that about a thousand were reported dead. It was shocking until I quickly realized that without Japan's emergency preparedness for just such a situation it could have easily been millions dead.

[Elomin Sha]

Explosion at Fukushima I, possibly steam explosion, small radiation release.

[empath]

This world is filled with dumbasses.

Fixed that for ya.

And I'd watched footage of that debris-filled tsunami spreading across fields, cars tumbling in wavefront. It was steadily flowing 'upscreen' and there was a thoroughfare near the top, with small cars still crossing it, almost to the point that the tsunami reached it. I couldn't see clearly, there might have even been some cars that were on that road when the wave hit and they got caught up.

Which just reinforces the above generalization, despite all the cultural seriousness given to this sort of event, and the likely near-instinctive training they subject themselves to, (millions camped out in their offices in Tokyo because the disaster prevented their commute home) there's STILL some reckless individuals who take unnecessary chances...

Stupidity is a universal constant.


But, hell. Watching some of those scenes - burning houses washed away by the waves, cars and vans bobbing in still floodwaters like children's bath toys, ships at dock being flung around like they're made of balsa - just made my stomach turn to cold water...

[gcninja]

AW POOP

Iwaki (Japan): An explosion at a nuclear power station on Saturday destroyed a building housing the reactor, but a radiation leak was decreasing despite fears of a meltdown from damage caused by a powerful earthquake and tsunami, officials said.

Government spokesman Yukio Edano said the explosion destroyed the exterior walls of the building where the reactor is placed, but not the actual metal housing enveloping the reactor.

That was welcome news for a country suffering from Friday's double disaster that pulverized the northeastern coast, leaving at least 574 people dead by official count.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/blast-at-jap ... 722-2.html

[Deedles]

Oh, and here's another angle of view on 'the unzipped road':

That little bit of prefectionism by the earthquake just takes the piss.

"I SHALL TEAR YOUR LAND ASUNDER! But I'm going have to cut this road right down the middle. Can't be sloppy now!" <3

[Elomin Sha]

Funny thing about that photo, it's still a road that can be used.

[sdhonda]

Stratfor is reporting that there was a meltdown. But while there plenty of chances for things to get worse, this is not as bad as it sounds, and it can still be contained.

Apparently they are pumping sea water and boric acid into the chamber to cool it. It could take 10 days, apparently.

Well, time to hold your breath.

[Bananafish]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg4uogOEUrU#t=43s

[Dubious_wolf]

Oh goody more reasons for people to "fear" nuclear power.
Sweet Jesus I hadn't realized the situation had gotten this bad.

[Elomin Sha]

If anything it shows how safe it can be.

[Rikadyn]

If anything it shows how safe it can be.

Yea, none of this would of happened if it wasn't for the horrid turn of luck that the following tsunami took out the back up generators.

If they are pumping water into them then the threat has past(Well most the threat, shit can always get worse ya know...)

Last night I got into an argument about Nuclear power, and ranked this at about an INES 3.5, officials have today listed it at a 4. (3-Mile was a 5, Chernobyl was a 7)

[Alja-Markir]

No all clear yet, but everything things to indicate that the worst is indeed past. The Fukushima I situation seems to be recovering.

~Alja~

[Elomin Sha]

Spoke too soon.

Reuters: The emergency cooling system is no longer functioning at the Fukushima No. 3 reactor, an official from Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has told journalists.

[Danielle Pepin]

*facepalm* How many reactors and plants do they have out there that took on emergency system damage?

Here's link to the news:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/12/us-japan-quake-nuclear-cooling-idUSTRE72B3GI20110312

[Gollom]

It's really a shame the nuclear stuff is overshadowing everything else, at least in the media. But the media loves when stuff explodes. And so much the better if theres something nuclear involved; then you get hysterical morons huddling in the basement watching TV 24/7 because ATOMS!

Anyway, from what I understand, solid estimates of casualties are a bit hard to come by. Over 1000 people estimated so far, and another 215,000 displaced. And there's some 9,500 people from one coastal town unaccounted for. Hopefully thats because the bulk of them made it to a shelter and simply haven't been identified yet.

[Rikadyn]

Spoke too soon.

Reuters: The emergency cooling system is no longer functioning at the Fukushima No. 3 reactor, an official from Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has told journalists.

Well atleast it's at the same plant...

/finding the silver lining in the mushroom cloud...

[Elomin Sha]

A 60 year old Japanese man was rescued after being swept 9 miles out to sea in his house.

http://en.news.maktoob.com/200900006281 ... rticle.htm