Massive quake hits Japan; Tsunami in Pacific, nations on alert

[MTK]

UPDATE 2:30PM - TOKYO (AP) -- Authorities say the pressure is rising at a nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan after its cooling system failed.

Massive 8.9 earthquake hits Japan; Tsunami Warning issued for Pacific | wzzm13.com

[SolidSnake84]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

UPDATE 2:30PM - TOKYO (AP) -- Authorities say the pressure is rising at a nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan after its cooling system failed.

Massive 8.9 earthquake hits Japan; Tsunami Warning issued for Pacific | wzzm13.com

I would have to think the biggest issue there is keeping the nuclear fuel from exploding due to heat/pressure increases. The update at about 12 noon said that the temperature of the fuel was 50% higher than normal.

The US Air Force was also taking additional coolant supplies to them, to try and combat the fire/ reactor.

[CRedskinsRule]

Originally Posted by SolidSnake84

I would have to think the biggest issue there is keeping the nuclear fuel from exploding due to heat/pressure increases. The update at about 12 noon said that the temperature of the fuel was 50% higher than normal.

The US Air Force was also taking additional coolant supplies to them, to try and combat the fire/ reactor.

nuclear fuel doesn't explode, the heat gets so hot everything melts down, including the containment shells, thus radiating everything around it. The containment structure on this reactor has an emergency cooling system that kicks in in a worst case scenario. That hasn't kicked in yet because they are using other available means to keep it in control.

While scary, it's unlikely that this will get out of control.

meanwhile, it's one heck of a power outage- from Tokyo Electric Power Co(4hrs ago):

[Nuclear Power Station]
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station:
Units 1 to 3: shutdown due to earthquake
Units 4 to 6: outage due to regular inspection

*Evacuation has been instructed by the national government to the local
residents within 3 km radius of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station:
Units 1 to 4: shutdown due to earthquake

Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Station:
Units 1, 5, 6, 7: normal operation
Units 2 to 4: outage due to regular inspection

* Survey data on radiation by exhaust stack monitors and montoring cars have
indicated no departure from normal level for all nuclear power stations.

[Thermal Power Station]
Hirono Thermal Power Station Units 2 and 4: shutdown due to earthquake
Hitachinaka Thermal Power Station Unit 1: shutdown due to earthquake
Kashima Thermal Power Station Units 2, 3, 5, 6: shutdown due to earthquake
Chiba Thermal Power Station Unit 2 Axis 1: shutdown due to earthquake
Ohi Thermal Power Station Units 2, 3: shutdown due to earthquake
Goi Thermal Power Station Unit 4: had been shutdown due to earthquake but
has restarted
Higashi-Ohgishima Thermal Power Station Unit 1: shutdown due to earthquake

[Hydro Power Station]
14 stations in Fukushima Prefecture, 4 stations in Tochigi Prefecture,
4 stations in Yamanashi Prefecture were shutdown due to earthquake.

[Transmission System, etc.]
Eight substations shown below have been shutdown:
- Naka Substation
- Shin Motegi Substation
- Joban Substation
- Ibaraki Substation
- Ishioka Substation
- Nishi Mito Substation
- Kawachi Substation
- Haga Substation
- Mito Hokubu Substation

[Blackout in TEPCO's Service Area]
Total of about 2.07 million households are out of power.
Tokyo: 3,106
Kanagawa Pref.: 101,928
Tochigi Pref.: 500,842
Chiba Pref.: 307,887
Saitama Pref: 98,425
Gunma Pref.: 155,101
Ibaraki Pref: 725,717
Yamanashi Pref: 106,044
Shizuoka Pref: 113,051 (east of Fuji River)

[CRedskinsRule]

Originally Posted by SolidSnake84

I would have to think the biggest issue there is keeping the nuclear fuel from exploding due to heat/pressure increases. The update at about 12 noon said that the temperature of the fuel was 50% higher than normal.

The US Air Force was also taking additional coolant supplies to them, to try and combat the fire/ reactor.

SolidSnake, I hope I don't regret my earlier critiques of your comments, but this doesn't sound good:

Fukushima Nuclear Plant

Update: 4:29 PM ET: Anti-nuclear expert Kevin Kamp explains the nightmare scenario in Fukushma, via Forbes and the Institute for Public Accuracy:

“The electrical grid is down. The emergency diesel generators have been damaged. The multi-reactor Fukushima atomic power plant is now relying on battery power, which will only last around eight hours. The danger is, the very thermally hot reactor cores at the plant must be continuously cooled for 24 to 48 hours. Without any electricity, the pumps won’t be able to pump water through the hot reactor cores to cool them. Once electricity is lost, the irradiated nuclear fuel could begin to melt down. If the containment systems fail, a catastrophic radioactivity release to the environment could occur.

“In addition to the reactor cores, the storage pool for highly radioactive irradiated nuclear fuel is also at risk. The pool cooling water must be continuously circulated. Without circulation, the still thermally hot irradiated nuclear fuel in the storage pools will begin to boil off the cooling water. Within a day or two, the pool’s water could completely boil away. Without cooling water, the irradiated nuclear fuel could spontaneously combust in an exothermic reaction. Since the storage pools are not located within containment, a catastrophic radioactivity release to the environment could occur. Up to 100 percent of the volatile radioactive Cesium-137 content of the pools could go up in flames and smoke, to blow downwind over large distances. Given the large quantity of irradiated nuclear fuel in the pool, the radioactivity release could be worse than the Chernobyl nuclear reactor catastrophe of 25 years ago.”

Meanwhile, Kyodo is reporting that local radiation levels are 8 times more than normal.

Update 4:43 PM: Now according to Kyodo, radiation is measured at 1000x normal.

Read more: Fukushima Nuclear Plant

[cpayne5]

Originally Posted by CRedskinsRule's Link

Update 7:51: At least 20,000 people are being evacuated from the region says Reuters, which ominously quotes an expert who thinks there may be just a few hours until meltdown.

Not good. I didn't think it would get to this, either. The whole country must be scrambling to fix this situation. We just have to hope that they can figure something out in time.

I also worry about the overreaction here about nuclear power (fear) that will inevitably ensue if something tragic goes down in Japan.