BREAKING (3/11/2011): Major Earthquake - Japan, Tsunami Warning - HI

[American Patriot]

Still using water?

That's ridicoulus.

Russians did a greater job:

The Russians did a SHITTY job. They didn't build the reactor to any kind of safety standards, they lost dozens of people to over exposure to radiation, they had a "real meltdown" the core burned pretty deep from what I saw of the aftermath. They tried to seal it with concrete but couldn't at first.

[BRVoice]

http://live.reuters.com/Event/Japan_earthquake2


Earthquake shakes buildings in Tokyo, say witnesses
by linda.noakes at 10:33

[BRVoice]

http://twitter.com/markmackinnon

1. NHK live shot shows Tokyo STILL shaking. 1 minute ago via web
2. NHK anchors in Tokyo shaking love on the air. Looks like Tokyo either is or is near the epicentre. 2 minutes ago via web
3. BIG aftershock just felt here in Morioka, northern Honshu. Biggest shake I've felt since I've been here. Shaking in eighth floor of hotel. 3 minutes ago via web
4. In Rikuzen-Takata, Iwate prefecture, I was told up to 40 per cent of pre-tsunami population of 24,000 may be dead. about 1 hour ago via web

[BRVoice]

http://live.reuters.com/Event/Japan_earthquake2


Magnitude 6.2 quake hits eastern Japan - TV
by linda.noakes at 10:34

[BRVoice]

http://live.reuters.com/Event/Japan_earthquake2


The U.S. says it detects low-level radioactivity at its Yokosuka military base in Japan (no figures as yet). It advises personnel and families at Yokosuka and naval air facility Atsugi to take precautions including limiting outdoor activities and securing external ventilation systems as much as possible.
by Reuters_MarkKolmar edited by Reuters_MarkKolmar at 10:58

[BRVoice]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...uake-live.html


Latest: 14.06 A quick update from America, where the Dow has now fallen 284.87 points (2.38 per cent) in early trading

14.05 Health experts have been forces to issue a statement on iodine pills after the nuclear threat sparked a wave of panic buying, with online bids exceeding $500 (£311) for a single packet.

The UN's health agency, the World Health Organisation, emphasised that the pills are of limited use, adding that the pills are "not radiation antidotes".

^{Satellite images showing the town of Rikuzentakata before and after the earthquake and tsunami struck (AFP/Getty)}

13.48 The American financial markets have opened, and the Dow Jones has opened down 152.88 points (or 1.27 per cent) following early drops in the Nikkei and FTSE.
13.46 Nick Allen has sent another update from Tokyo, where the transport system is failing to keep up with overwhelming demand:
Long, long queues for trains in Tokyo. Commuters lined up side by side in double queues to get into subway stations. One line stretched around several city blocks. Trains in the usually hyper-efficient Japanese capital were still facing disruptions but commuters seemed to bear the delays patiently.
13.40 Strong aftershocks measuring 6.0 have just been hitting Tokyo four days after the earthquake struck. The epicentre was located in Shizuoka, about 120 kilometres (75 miles) southwest of the capital.

[BRVoice]

http://live.reuters.com/Event/Japan_earthquake2


2 quakes at 3 min. apart here info from the second one.




Magnitude 6.1 - EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
2011 March 15 13:31:46 UTC

* Details
* Maps

Earthquake Details

* This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.

Magnitude 6.1
Date-Time

* Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 13:31:46 UTC
* Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 10:31:46 PM at epicenter

Location 35.322°N, 138.552°E
Depth 1 km (~0.6 mile) set by location program
Region EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances

* 40 km (25 miles) NNE (20°) from Shizuoka, Honshu, Japan
* 42 km (26 miles) S (182°) from Kofu, Honshu, Japan
* 104 km (65 miles) NE (48°) from Hamamatsu, Honshu, Japan
* 115 km (72 miles) WSW (251°) from TOKYO, Japan -- earthquake.usgs.gov
comment by guyco at 11:12

Last Earthquake Details

* This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.

Magnitude 5.8
Date-Time

* Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 13:27:53 UTC
* Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 10:27:53 PM at epicenter

Location 37.626°N, 142.320°E
Depth 1 km (~0.6 mile)
Region OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances

* 140 km (87 miles) ENE (63°) from Iwaki, Honshu, Japan
* 144 km (89 miles) ESE (118°) from Sendai, Honshu, Japan
* 163 km (102 miles) E (94°) from Fukushima, Honshu, Japan
* 316 km (196 miles) NE (46°) from TOKYO, Japan

Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 15.9 km (9.9 miles); depth +/- 0.8 km (0.5 miles)
Parameters NST=335, Nph=337, Dmin=385.2 km, Rmss=1.38 sec, Gp= 83°,
M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=9
Source

* U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center:
World Data Center for Seismology, Denver

Event ID usc00023fq
comment by guyco at 11:11

meteorological says the one right before the 6.0 shizuoka was a 6.2 at fukushima
comment by Gaijin in tokyo at 11:11

Some more on that U.S. military story: "These measures are strictly precautionary in nature. We do not expect that any United States federal radiation exposure limits will be exceeded even if no precautionary measures are taken," the Seventh Fleet said in a statement.
by Reuters_MarkKolmar at 11:10

[BRVoice]

http://live.reuters.com/Event/Japan_earthquake2




Kesennuma City in northeast Japan today. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

by Reuters_Jeremy Schultz at 11:13

[American Patriot]

FNC is reporting that IAEA is reporting ALL of the reactors are safe and STABLE.

Another report is saying radioactive fallout in the area... detecting high doses in some areas.

So... still mixed messages here.

[BRVoice]

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/78267.html


Spent nuke fuel pool may be boiling, further radiation leak feared
TOKYO, March 15, Kyodo

A nuclear crisis at the quake-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant deepened Tuesday as fresh explosions occurred at the site and its operator said water in a pool storing spent nuclear fuel rods may be boiling, an ominous sign for the release of high-level radioactive materials from the fuel.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. said water levels in the pool storing the spent fuel rods at its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant's No. 4 reactor may have dropped, exposing the rods. The firm said it has not yet confirmed the current water levels or started operations to pour water into the facility.

Unless the spent fuel rods are cooled down, they could be damaged and emit radioactive substances. The government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency urged TEPCO to inject water into the pool soon to prevent heating of the fuel rods.

At 6:14 a.m., a blast occurred at the No. 4 reactor and created two square holes sized about 8 meters by 8 meters in the walls of the building that houses the reactor. At 9:38 a.m., a fire broke out there and smoke billowed from those holes.

The utility said it cannot deny the possibility that the early morning explosion was caused by hydrogen that was generated by a chemical reaction involving the exposed spent nuclear fuel and vapor.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said at a press conference, ''We believe very-high-level radioactive substance has not been emitted continuously from the No. 4 reactor,'' citing radiation monitoring data at the plant.

The nuclear agency said water temperature in the pool stood at 84 degrees C as of 4 a.m. Monday, higher than the normal level of 40 to 50 degrees. Usually, the upper tip of the fuel rods is at a depth of 10 meters from the surface of the pool, it said.

Agency officials said the fuel rods will not reach criticality again as they have been stored in racks containing boron to prevent the phenomenon.
Edano said water temperature in the pools at the No. 5 and No. 6 reactors in the Fukushima plant has been rising as well.

The three reactors were not in service when a magnitude 9.0 earthquake jolted Fukushima Prefecture and other areas in northeastern Japan on Friday.

The agency said among the three, the situation is the severest for the No. 4 reactor because all the fuel rods are stored in the pool due to the change of the reactor's shroud. At the No. 5 and No. 6 reactors, up to one-third of the rods are kept in the pools.

The new development followed a critical situation at the No. 2 reactor at the Fukushima plant earlier in the day, in which part of the reactor's container vessel was damaged following an apparent hydrogen explosion at 6:10 a.m.

TEPCO said the problem could develop into a critical ''meltdown'' situation, in which fuel rods melt and are destroyed, emitting massive radioactive materials in the air.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan urged people living between 20 and 30 kilometers of the plant to stay indoors, after radiation equivalent to 400 times the level to which people can safely be exposed in one year was detected near the No. 3 reactor in the plant.

Residents within a 20-km radius have already been ordered to vacate the area following Saturday's hydrogen blast at the plant's No. 1 reactor.
''The danger of further radiation leaks (from the plant) is increasing.'' Kan warned the public at a press conference, while asking people to ''act calmly.''

Edano said the high radiation level detected at 10:22 a.m. after the explosions at the No. 2 and No. 4 reactors ''would certainly have negative effects on the human body.''

The top government spokesman said later in the day the massive radiation amount may have been recorded around the debris of the building that housed the No. 3 reactor. The building was blown away by the hydrogen explosion Monday.

TEPCO has been continuing operations to pour seawater into the troubled No. 1, 2 and 3 reactors to prevent overheating and further damage to their containers. But despite the water injection, fuel rods in the three reactors remain partially exposed.

The cores of those three reactors at the plant are believed to have partially melted following the devastating quake.

The country's biggest recorded quake, which is also one of the largest in global history, caused the three reactors, which were all operating at the time, to automatically shut down.

==Kyodo

[BRVoice]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...uake-live.html


Latest: 14.46 The aftershock in Shizuoka, which was felt as far away as Tokyo, has injured at least two people and sparked power failures across much of Shizuoka, according to the AFP agency. But two nuclear reactors located in the area continued to function normally.

[BRVoice]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...TAM&SECTION=US


Mar 15, 11:27 AM EDT, AP

More US relief crews exposed to radiation in Japan

WASHINGTON (AP) -- More U.S. military crews are being exposed to radiation as they press ahead with relief flights over Japan.

And the Navy said Tuesday that it's sending some ships to operate off the country's west coast rather than east coast. That's to avoid hazards from the huge debris field left in the ocean by last week's tsunami and to be farther away from radiation leaking from troubled nuclear power reactors.

The Navy said Monday that 17 helicopter crew members had to be decontaminated after flying search and rescue missions. It said Tuesday that more crews were exposed to very low levels of radiation and had to be decontaminated after delivering food, water and blankets for victims of the earthquake and tsunami.

[Phil Fiord]

The role governments take is to try and calm public fears. That means soft peddling the news or playing down facts. When the actual facts come to light, it puts said government into a bad light for lying.

What is better though? I tend to think give the facts. Level with people. There is a risk with that though. People could panic and a panic is not a controlled situation. So, right or wrong, that is what is at play here is the politics of controlled panic.

[vector7]

They could probably get away with telling the truth in Japan.

Could you imagine if this happened in America what the reaction would be?

The inner city socialist entitlement horde would strip and shred the place within hours.

Think Katrina, but many times worse.

Why is there no looting in Japan?

By Ed West World Last updated: March 14th, 2011
3064 Comments Comment on this article


Respect for property even in the middle of disaster (Photo: EPA)

The landscape of parts of Japan looks like the aftermath of World War Two; no industrialised country since then has suffered such a death toll. The one tiny, tiny consolation is the extent to which it shows how humanity can rally round in times of adversity, with heroic British rescue teams joining colleagues from the US and elsewhere to fly out.

And solidarity seems especially strong in Japan itself. Perhaps even more impressive than Japan’s technological power is its social strength, with supermarkets cutting prices and vending machine owners giving out free drinks as people work together to survive. Most noticeably of all, there has been no looting, and I’m not the only one curious about this.

This is quite unusual among human cultures, and it’s unlikely it would be the case in Britain. During the 2007 floods in the West Country abandoned cars were broken into and free packs of bottled water were stolen. There was looting in Chile after the earthquake last year – so much so that troops were sent in; in New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina saw looting on a shocking scale.

Why do some cultures react to disaster by reverting to everyone for himself, but others – especially the Japanese – display altruism even in adversity?

[Phil Fiord]

vector,

In our house we were reflecting on that very thing. Culturally, Japan has restraint. The people who are more in the rural areas hardest hit may be moreso.

Having lived near Los Angeles in the Rodney King riot times and observed Katrina, as I have extended family there, I doubt our government woudl level and fall into the scenario I expressed above.

[Phil Fiord]

One matter I do recall as very civil is earthquakes. I had lived in California during the Whittier and Northridge quakes and do not recall much in the way of looting. Same for wildfires. I guess the difference is these matters are fact based and in the now, unlike a reaction based matter, such as King.

[BRVoice]

http://twitter.com/W7VOA

1. Dow Jones via Kyodo: Radio France to withdraw Japan staff in wake of nuke radiation detected. 9 minutes ago via TweetDeck
2. American Forces Press Service - Personnel in & around FA Yokosuka & NAF Atsugi told to limit outdoor activitie… (cont) http://deck.ly/~YqXHE 11 minutes ago via TweetDeck
3. Another aftershock now 0123 in Fukushima-ken -- not so strong. 15 minutes ago via TweetDeck
4. A bit of VOA Q&A from me here in Koriyama on how the Fukushima folks are feeling: http://bit.ly/hL7dp2 (mp3 file) 17 minutes ago via TweetDeck
5. Kyodo: Japan gov't orders injection of water into No. 4 reactor spent fuel pool at Fukushima-1. 37 minutes ago via TweetDeck
6. There are, after all, estimated 5,000 dead/missing in Iwate-ken. about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck

[Ryan Ruck]

Still using water?

That's ridicoulus.

Russians did a greater job:

Agree very strongly with Rick that the Russians did a horrid job, though those forced to do the actual work were real heroes. If you want some great insight into Chernobyl, go herel and watch this Discovery Channel documentary called The Battle Of Chernoby.

I'd also add that the sarcophagus that is surrounding Chernobyl is falling apart. It is actually leaking water and the concrete is crumbling. It was designed by the Soviets to last 30 years so in reality, it is probably only good for 15 and we are long past that.

[Phil Fiord]

I posted the links to these video a couple pages back as this is beginning to look a lot like Chernobyl. The videos are really worth the watch. A lot is explained that never makes it to news or history book summaries.

[Phil Fiord]

I tend to agree with Peterle here. A the time of Chernobyl the Soviet government devised a plan to entomb the failed reactor. It was a reasonable solution to stop the leaking of the time. Recall that it was the first time such an event had happened and they had to devise it in a hurry. The issue that arose was the concrete this tomb rests on is crumbling, as it was the remains of the reactor building itself.

The current issue there is a lack of interest in funding the building of a permanent tomb for Chernobyl. It is still a problem, but it is being treated as dealt with.

Were there failures in that matter? Sure. They were not with those on the ground doing the 'liquidation' work though. It is so easy to forget the political dynamic back then. The USSR was self cut off from other countries. Add that bad information was getting to Moscow, it took the Swedes finding substantial radioactivity to give notice to Moscow. That is when Moscow was really alerted to the actual gravity of the situation. That was a failure of the time due to the entrenched communist system they had. It was also before www and such.