News Japan Earthquake, Tsunami, & Nuclear Disaster

[Jarvitä]

NHK the government-operated news agency and TV station has been particularly slow to reveal the situation. Foreign-based news organisations like the BBC, Reuters, NYT, RT and AFP are more agile and informative.

The NHK has done factual and punctual reporting. The foreign news agencies have been running alarmist, sensationalist and ultimately misinformative reports about the next Chernobyl and/or the next Hiroshima.

 

[JEL]

Following the live twitter-feeds at the moment (as it's morning in the US) it seems that some low-level panic is starting to emerge amongst american twitterers. A lot of US-feeds talk about radiation hitting the US and a lot of questions about how to prepare and protect yourself and etc. It seems like a lot of people are really getting scared

Edit addition: and now webcams with radiation detectors are emerging as well: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ガイガーカウンタ?lang=ja_JP

 

[David413]

As the plant (at least unit 1) was scheduled to go offline this month (something spotted by Urwumpe and only noted by Al-Jazeera that I've seen), might we assume the fuel level was minimal?

The fuel level in a nuclear reactor is not like the gas tank in your car. In fact, the closer to refueling (and shutdown) the reactor is, the worse the inventory of fission products (and thus, decay heat generation). Fresh, unused nuclear fuel can be stood next to with no ill effect (of this, I have first hand information). Fuel that has been expended in the reactor is kept underwater for decades just to handle the residual decay heat and to provide shielding from the decaying fission products. One of the factors that made Chernobyl so bad was the fact that the accident occurred while shutting the unit down for refueling. The highest possible fission product inventory existed and was released by the explosion.

If these reactors were close to shutdown, and their cores are now uncovered and failing, the release of fission products to the air is only being contained by the reactor pressure vessel, the reactor coolant system piping, and ultimately by the remaining containment structure. A breach of these two remaining barriers is perhaps unlikely, but only if measures to maintain them are successful.

 

[fsci123]

Breaking News: Smoke rising from reactors...
M6.2 after shock

 

[SiberianTiger]

A lot of US-feeds talk about radiation hitting the US and a lot of questions about how to prepare and protect yourself and etc. It seems like a lot of people are really getting scared

Every nation who owns the land on the path of Kuroshio current has now grounds to worry, even if atmospheric ejection of nuclear waste is eventually avoided. Where do you think they send all the water they are trying to cool the reactors down with?

 

[Cairan]

Nice summary of what's going on with the reactors... Makes one think how long will Unit 2 last now that we hear that it's fuel rods have been uncovered for the past 2 hours...

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Fukushima_nuclear_accidents"]Timeline of the Fukushima nuclear accidents - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

 

[IronRain]

On the Dutch TV 'scientists' are saying that the whole nuclear thing in Japan isn't that bad because if the fuel rods are not being cooled anymore (which is now if I understand it right) the whole radio active waste is still protected by a steel and concrete wall. Is this true?

 

[SiberianTiger]

Illustrative explanation movie by Reuters:

 

[Urwumpe]

Latest satellite image of the plant by Digital Globe


Earthquake and Tsunami damage-Dai Ichi Power Plant, Japan von DigitalGlobe-Imagery auf Flickr

You can see that the blocks received completely different damages inside: Block 1 is almost clean inside, a single flat surface, while Block 3 is heap of debris. You can also see two large streams of steam escaping from below the debris, just take the trucks in front of the block as size reference.

 

[Wishbone]

Back on topic: (from IAEA Alert Log, http://www.iaea.org/press/?p=1219)

Japanese Earthquake Update (14 March 15:35 CET)

14 March 2011

Announcements, Featured

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Japanese authorities have reported to the IAEA that Fukushima Daiichi Unit 2 has experienced decreasing coolant levels in the reactor core. Officials have begun to inject sea water into the reactor to maintain cooling of the reactor core.

Sea water injections into Units 1 and 3 were interrupted yesterday due to a low level in a sea water supply reservoir, but sea water injections have now been restored at both units.

Evacuation Status

On 12 March, the Japanese Prime Minister ordered the evacuation of residents living within 10 kilometres of the Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant and within 20 kilometres of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) has reported that about 185,000 residents had been evacuated from the towns listed below as of 13 March, 17:00 (JST).

Populations of evacuated towns near the affected nuclear power

Hirono-cho 5,387

Naraha-cho 7,851

Tomioka-cho 15,786

Okuma-cho 11,186

Futaba-cho 6,936

Namie-cho 20,695

Tamura-shi 41,428

Minamisouma-shi 70,975

Kawauchi-mura 2,944

Kuzuo-mura 1,482

Total 184,670



Iodine Distribution

Japan has distributed 230,000 units of stable iodine to evacuation centres from the area around Fukushima Daiichi and Fukushima Daini nuclear power plants, according to officials. The iodine has not yet been administered to residents; the distribution is a precautionary measure in the event that this is determined to be necessary.

The ingestion of stable iodine can help to prevent the accumulation of radioactive iodine in the thyroid.

Weather forecast

In partnership with the World Meteorological Organization, the IAEA is continuing to monitor weather forecasts and is providing updates to member states. Since the incident began, winds have been moving away from the Japanese coast to the East, and predictions call for the same patterns to persist for the next three days.

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

 

[Wishbone]

NISA report for March 14 (excerpts):

Measurements at Fukushima I (increase ref. previous measurements)

MP3 (Monitoring at North West of Site Boundary for Unit 2) :
231.1 micro Sv/h (14:30 March 14)
MP4 (Monitoring at north- west of Site Boundary for Unit 2 :
56.4 micro Sv/h(04:08 March 14)
→29.8 micro Sv/h(14:14 March 14)
MP5 (Monitoring at north-west Site Boundary for Unit 2)
6.1 micro Sv/h(14:02 March 14)
MP6 (Monitoring at the west –southwest Site Boundary for Unit 2)
3.70 micro Sv/h(16:10 March 14)
→4.2 micro Sv/h(12:34 March 14)
MP7 (Monitoring at the west –southwest Site Boundary for Unit 2)
6.1 micro Sv/h (12:16, March 14)

Unit water level (from nominal position of top pellet):
1 - Off-scale low
2 - Off-scale low
3 - minus 1.9m (A), minus 2.3m (B)

Suppression pool water pressure:
1, 2 - N/A
3 - 500 kPa

Reactor pressure (MPa):
1 - 0.047 (A) 0.270 (B)
2 - 0.65
3 - 0.183 (A)

Primary containment vessel pressure (kPa)
1 - N/A
2 - approx 395
3 - 335

...
Information from Fukushima II, unit 4 (units 1, 2, 3 are in cold shutdown)
As of 18:30 March 14 (UTC +9)

Reactor Pressure (MPa): 0.35
Reactor water temp (deg C) : 142
Reactor water level: 5.096 m (from nominal position of the top pellet)
Suppression pool water temp (deg C) : 130
Suppression pool water pressure: 324 kPa

...
Onagawa, Unit 2

MP2 (Monitoring at the North End of Site Boundary)
Approx. 10,000 nGy/h (as of 13:09 March13)
→7,200 nGy/h (07:20 March 14)
(March 11)

No reactor data

...

3. Injury due to the explosion of Unit 3 of Fukushima Dai-ichi NPS
・Four employees
・Three subcontractor employees
・Four members of Self-Defence-Force (one of them will be transported to National Institute of Radiological Sciences considering internal exposure)

 

[Belisarius]

Can someone interpret those figures?
231 mSv/h seems a lot according to the Wiki article on background radiation. Suggesting that the unit 2 zone is pretty badly contaminated.
EDIT - Duh, I just noticed those are micro not milli Sieverts. In which case it's not so bad.

The pressures look like they are within parameters.

Are those guesses anything like right?

 

[Wishbone]

We still don't have data from aerial sampling, unless the incident with USS Ronald Reagan getting into the plume counts as one.

 

[Cairan]

Well, did the same mistake of reading milli instead of microSievert... Still... Because now that hints that this is getting quite serious as the change in order of magnitude of the measurements probably indicates some kind of primary containment breach, IMHO

 

[Urwumpe]

The containment and suppression pool pressures seem to be a bit high, while the reactor pressure is pretty low.

 

[IronRain]

And some good news: Rescuers saved 15.000 people up to now!

 

[Belisarius]

It's undeniably true that Europe doesn't have the same seismic dangers as Japan, Chile or California.
Does it? I know Greece experiences earthquakes, and other areas in the region of the Med do as well, but are they as active as Japan?

Nothing that would rupture a nuclear plant or cause a massive tsunami, we hope. Italy has had up to Richter 6 quakes (6.3 in 2009) and the last one in Greece (2006) was 6.6 to 7.

Greece has no nukes, and up to now Italy neither, but now Berlusconi wants to build 4 new ones by 2013. Only 20% of Italians are in favour, but plans are going ahead.

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_Italy"]Nuclear power in Italy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

Where I live, on the Med shore of Catalonia, we've never had a significant quake.

 

[N_Molson]

The worst scientifically recorded earthquake in France happened in 1909, in Provence (M=6.2). 46 died.

But historical records tells us there have been terrible disasters in the past.

Still in Provence, in 1227, chronicles relate a terrible earthquakes. 5,000 people died, and from was it related it is rated M=10 (worst than what happened in Japan).

In 1556 near Nice (extreme South-East, near Italy), 150 people died (M estimated berween 9 and 10).

In 1564 near Nice again, 500 people died (M estimated around 8).

Earthquakes with M < 6 are quite common, there have been several since 2000, all over the country.

We have 58 active nuclear reactors, all are PWR. Some are getting quite old, and 80% of our energy comes from nuclear power plants.

So their replacement or not is going to be a major question in the next decade. And the nuclear industry (AREVA) is very powerful and has tight connections with the governement. A lot of money is involved.

 

[orbitingpluto]

I just heard my local news weatherman predict that there could be a couple of inches of snow falling on Sendai tomorrow. Plus he predicted a high of 38 degrees Fahrenheit.

I hoping he's wrong though. This could make a already impossible situation worse.

 

[Tex]

Moderator Note:

Several posts discussing nuclear and other power sources from this thread, unrelated to the Japan disaster & Japanese nuclear power plants, have been moved to a new thread:

http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=21206

Lets stay on-topic here with only the events in Japan.