Posted on 07/10/2019 1:19:29 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
Radiation levels in the water around a sunken Soviet-era nuclear submarine are some 100,000 times higher than normal, scientists have warned, raising fears that the K-278 Komsomolets may still pose a threat 30 years after it sunk.
Norwegian scientists have been analyzing the area around the submarine, which came to rest on the floor of the Norwegian Sea after sinking on April 7, 1989. The accident—caused by a fire in the engine room—resulted in the deaths of 42 of the Komsomolets' 69 crew. Most were killed by radiation exposure while waiting for the Soviet navy to rescue them.
The 400 feet long submarine now sits one mile underwater, around 100 miles southwest of Norway's Bear Island, in one of the largest fishing grounds on Earth.
Research teams regularly check on the status of the wreck. Russian scientists detected low levels of radiation in the water around the Komsomolets in the 1990s and 2007...
Norwegian teams survey the site every year, and noted elevated concentrations of radioactive cesium-137 nearby between 1991 and 1993... However, no leaks have ever been found.
But of three samples taken Monday using a remote-controlled mini-submarine, one shows radiation levels 100,000 times higher than expected, Norwegian state broadcaster NRK reported.
Hilde Elise Heldal of the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research said she was not overly surprised that radiation was picked up, given past tests that have also recorded radioactive pollution. "The results are preliminary," she told TV2. "We will examine the samples thoroughly when we get home."
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
A little radiation never hurt anyone.
Chernobyl Under the Sea ...
You have a fueled nuclear reactor sitting at the bottom of a salt water ocean. What could possibly go wrong? Don’t worry it will all be good in about 100,000 years.
Hi.
“What is the normal radiation level of a sunken Russian nuclear submarine?”
Good question. Well, there are a number of Soviet subs on the bottom of the oceans to test for a good sample size.
5.56mm
It’s a mile down - unless someone goes swimming down there, they’ll be fine regarding the radiation, but there won’t be much left of them from the pressure, though.
“The reactor scrammed”
Well that’s certainly understandable! Did they ever find out where it went?;)
Cancel my order for a case of Norwegian sardines.
I thought that fresh Tuna i ate last night tasted funny.
Fukushima leaks more than that every minute and nobody cares.
Ivan sure loses a lot of boats.
That being said, its not really discussed how much we visit the Scorpion and Thresher to check on their environmental impact.
Last one I heard of was Bob Ballard was doing a check on Scorpion in mid ‘80s.
Both of those boats were pretty mangled, with the Scorpion have its after section telescoping into the rest of the pressure hull, presumably straight through the engineering spaces.
That could not have been good for the reactor....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.