Earthquake in Japan....9.0...ouch!

Japan Update: It’s Much Worse than it Looks
Posted by: madhedgefundtrader @ http://www.zerohedge.com/article/ga...nwind-ibaraki-disclosed-30-times-above-normal
Post date: 03/15/2011 - 12:00
Japan is back in recession. The incoming tide just brought in 2,000 bodies. Most major companies, including Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and Sony have shut down all domestic production. Tokyo’s subway system is closed, stranding 25 million residents there. Electric power shortages are a huge problem. Half the country’s nuclear generating capacity is now down. 20,000 expatriates waiting at Tokyo’s Narita airport as foreign companies evacuate staff to avoid a nuclear meltdown. $187 billion worth of credit intervention to “save Japan.”
Click to expand...
 
drunkenmaster said:
The melted fuel at Chernobyl burned through the concrete, or started to and Chernobyl, a old and unsafe design, had a water chamber underneath to to to cool and prevent any getting into the water table.

Maybe there is another chamber underneath the general diagrams we've seen that works like that, I'm not quite sure.
Click to expand...

You might want to check your facts there. The concrete containment is very thick though, so I doubt very much if there is the faintest possibility that this can occur.
 
Bit of raw uncut footage of the Tsunami rolling in.
I've seen parts of this trotted out by all the BBC and sky news reports but not the whole thing. :eek:
The sound of the buildings taking the strain and then just buckling under.. Immense.

 
Last edited:
In regards to the problems that the reactors face at present, what is a worse case scenario? I know very little about fission and the nuclear power plants that are scattered across our globe, I do however understand that in general, these plants are very clean in terms of the power produced, though also appreciate that if they are mishandled like I am led to believe Chernobyl was then it could create a catastrophe.

With the problems that the reactors are facing at present, what chance is there that a further large earthquake could occur? I understand now and appreciate how lucky we are in Europe that we dont have these seismic waves that seem to affect the rest of the world.

I cant imagine the scale of the horror that the people in the affected areas are going through and my thoughts are with them all. God speed to them all!
 
Scubascorpion said:
Bit of raw uncut footage of the Tsunami rolling in.
I've seen parts of this trotted out by all the BBC and sky news reports but not the whole thing. :eek:
The sound of the buildings taking the strain and then just buckling under.. Immense.

Click to expand...

Speechless, I really am. You wouldn't stand a chance in that.
 
teejay73 said:
In regards to the problems that the reactors face at present, what is a worse case scenario? I know very little about fission and the nuclear power plants that are scattered across our globe, I do however understand that in general, these plants are very clean in terms of the power produced, though also appreciate that if they are mishandled like I am led to believe Chernobyl was then it could create a catastrophe.

With the problems that the reactors are facing at present, what chance is there that a further large earthquake could occur? I understand now and appreciate how lucky we are in Europe that we dont have these seismic waves that seem to affect the rest of the world.

I cant imagine the scale of the horror that the people in the affected areas are going through and my thoughts are with them all. God speed to them all!
Click to expand...

The chances of something like Chernobyl are really really slim - but not as impossible as some people are trying to suggest. The most likely outcome is the equivalent of a low to moderate grade dirty bomb - couple of miles or so where its a bit nasty and beyond that a fairly moderate level of pollution depending a bit on wind direction/speed, groundwater penetration, etc. probably some long term health issues like birth defects, higher levels of cancer type illness, etc. but for the most part fairly localised to that region of the country.
 
Rroff said:
The chances of something like Chernobyl are really really slim - but not as impossible as some people are trying to suggest. The most likely outcome is the equivalent of a low to moderate grade dirty bomb - couple of miles or so where its a bit nasty and beyond that a fairly moderate level of pollution depending a bit on wind direction/speed, groundwater penetration, etc. probably some long term health issues like birth defects, higher levels of cancer type illness, etc. but for the most part fairly localised to that region of the country.
Click to expand...

You seem to know your stuff Rroff!! This is reassuring to hear, as most people like myself naturally think the worst when you hear the media spouting their hype.

In what ways though could they have made them more safer or was that as safe as they could have been?
 
teejay73 said:
You seem to know your stuff Rroff!! This is reassuring to hear, as most people like myself naturally think the worst when you hear the media spouting their hype.

In what ways though could they have made them more safer or was that as safe as they could have been?
Click to expand...

Well as I've mentioned a couple of times they hardened those factilities to withstand atleast a magnitude 7 quake at under 10km which by any standard is playing it safe - what they actually got hit by was (with revised figures) an earthquake that was ~1090x the energy they were hardened against - fortunatly the epicenter was 90+km away.

Another issue that was under investigation before the quake even happened - but not proved - was that lately due to the age and proximity to retirement the plants that are now experiencing issues did not get the investment in maintenance/safety that they should have... I think whats important is that regular risk assessment is carried out on nuclear powerplants as new technology becomes available and they are updated or retired in a more timely fashion (these were decades old some dating back to 70s and probably before).
 
Rroff said:
Well as I've mentioned a couple of times they hardened those factilities to withstand atleast a magnitude 7 quake at under 10km which by any standard is playing it safe - what they actually got hit by was (with revised figures) an earthquake that was ~1090x the energy they were hardened against - fortunatly the epicenter was 90+km away.

Another issue that was under investigation before the quake even happened - but not proved - was that lately due to the age and proximity to retirement the plants that are now experiencing issues did not get the investment in maintenance/safety that they should have... I think whats important is that regular risk assessment is carried out on nuclear powerplants as new technology becomes available and they are updated or retired in a more timely fashion (these were decades old some dating back to 70s and probably before).
Click to expand...

If this is proved, then the operators of the plants have to accept liability, especially when you consider that Japan is always in very close proximity to the fault lines and sits on the edge of the Pacific plate.

It seems that whatever man predicts, you will never accomadate for natural events, no matter how advanced we think we are, that said though, Japan is the most advanced in the world in terms of structual Engineering for accommodating Seismic events, such as earthquakes is it not?
 
The BBC has just flashed this up on their news website.

The US-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) has said it agrees with the assessment of France's Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) that the incident at Fukushima should be classified as level 6 on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES), one below Chernobyl. Following a number of explosions and a fire at the plant which released dangerous levels of radiation, ISIS said the situation had "worsened considerably" and was now closer to a level 6 event. "It may unfortunately reach a level 7," it added.

It seems they could be expecting it to reach a level 7, this is very worrying for Japan as it may imply that they think there is nothing that can be done for the reactors to help dissipate the heat!?

What else can be done to cool these things?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom