Posted on 03/15/2011 8:13:35 AM PDT by SE Mom
Latest news from Japan:
From the BBC-
1456: Tepco says it may start pouring water from a helicopter over Fukushima Daiichi's reactor four in the next few days, to cool the spent-fuel pool.
1439: A 30km (18 mile) no-fly zone is in place around Fukushima, says the IAEA.
1436: The IAEA says Monday's blast at Fukushima may have affected the integrity of the containment vessel - there are fears of more serious radioactive leaks if happen.
1435: Following earlier reports, it appears there has been more than one strong aftershock in Japan - AP reports two tremors measuring over 6.0 within three minutes of each other.
Twitter-
-US Geological Survey counts 451 aftershocks since the initial earthquake struck Japan Friday. 238 of them registered magnitude 5.0 or more.
-Despite situations in Japan & Libya, spksmn Jay Carney says Pres Obama's 5-day trip to Brazil, Chile & El Salvador starting Fri night is on.
-FLASH: More U.S. military personnel in Japan testing positive for low-levels of radiation, relief missions to continue - Navy 18 minutes ago via web
Ping
Thanks for starting this, it was getting difficult to keep up with the ongoing disaster.
Meant to ping you- if you’d post those links you just posted on one of the other threads - thanks:)
Other useful links:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698
Update (AP): Both the Journal and the Times report that the situation at reactor number two has stabilized in some respects, with a core group of 50 emergency workers remaining behind to pump sea water into the containment vessel. Radiation levels near the plant are reportedly down sharply after soaring following the explosion at reactor two. As Ed noted, the major concern right now appears to be the possibility of spent fuel rods boiling over; according to the NYT, that area is now so dangerous that workers can’t approach it.
On FOX this morning....they had the author of Krakatoa, talking about the Pacific “Ring of Fire”..He had a map..showing the quakes in Chile, then New Zealand, now Japan...if one gives credence to the theory that the big quake in Chile got the whole Pacific region going, then following the activity around the outlines of the palte..the next area is the pacific Northwest..the Cascadia fault, just offshore Washington...really scary hypothesis..
so what happened to the spent fuel rods in reactors 1 2 and 3? are those stored in the other reactors(ie 4)
I don’t know- good question.
Us cubicle dwellers appreciate any information we can get.
You’re the bomb, mom! Thanks.
BBC:
1513: Jeremy O’Neill, a Canadian trying to get home from Urayasu in Chiba prefecture, tells the BBC: “As a foreigner here, there is a growing sense of feeling trapped. People are handling the matter in different ways; some are panicking while others are turning a blind eye. All the while the uncertainty grows more palpable, with a lack of definitive information from authorities. That is the worst part - the uncertainty. I am from Vancouver in Canada and have been out here since August 2010. I was meant to be staying here until April 2011 but I just want to get home now. The situation doesn’t seem to be improving here. I have booked a flight home for tomorrow but many of the flights are getting cancelled - I feel trapped.”
1507: A spokesman for Japan’s meteorological agency says he does not know if there is a link between the strong earthquakes on Tuesday - including one of 6.0 magnitude - and Friday’s massive 9.0-magnitude tremor. He says the epicentres were quite far apart.
Still haven’t found that elusive shift key?
The epicenters were far apart and the last 6.1 quake was quite shallow...1 km.
His NCAA bracket needs to be finished by noon Thursday, so the South America trip shouldn't interfere with his biggest priority.
Thanks for the ping!
OT: Breaking news ...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2689070/posts
Obama Taping NCAA brackets today for ESPN.
Politico ^ | March 15, 2011 | Mike Allen
“Fiddling while Rome burns”
All the spent fuel for the site is stored in reactor building 4.
The Spent Fuel pool is now the biggest worry, it is NOT in a containment vessel, it is exactly what it sounds like, A POOL. If the water boils off, the rods will be exposed to air and will melt, releasing huge amounts of radiation.
The last earthquake has now been revised upward by the USGS to 6.1
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_big.php
Magnitude of Shizuoka quake revised upward to 6.4 from 6.0 (00:00
I have found that http://BraveNewClimate.com has pretty good information and general discussion.
Also the MIT Nuclear Science Engineering dept. has revised the original overview written by Joseph Oehman because they thought it was good, basic information and are now posting updates at http://mitnse.com
“Party on, dude!”
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/03/14/3474279/obamas-visit-fuels-optimism-in.html
On a more personal level, the president is expected to make the trip with wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia. Their presence will be an added attraction in family-oriented Latin America.
FOX news update - containment breach at #2
Given the progression from Chile, I would think Kamchatka, the Aleutians or Alaska would be more likely event locations. The weird thing about this hypothesis is that it matches a supposedly official report by a Russian Scientific Academy that was prepared for Putin. It predicted a mega quake in the next forthnight along the west coast of the Americas.Since the hypothesis involved some mumbo jumbo about electro magnetic readings in the athmosphere it was mocked by many here on R yesterday, including me. But this Fox interview puts it in a new light.
Yikes! 2 and 4 seem to be the most troublesome at this point...
WOW WOW ! I can’t imagine.
US Geological Survey counts 451 aftershocks since the initial earthquake struck Japan Friday. 238 of them registered magnitude 5.0 or more.
Awww geeesh..prayers..
From blog at Reuters:
Recent 6.4 earthquake was 6 miles from mount Fuji.
http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=3
live video stream
6.4 quake has just hit shizuoka
Yup..that’s the guy..check their website...or YouTube..they may have it..if you find it..post the link for others..
I was in the Loma Prieta earthquake. I felt like I was getting seasick the night after that quake. The ground just constantly did not feel stable.
I can’t imagine how much worse it must be in Japan.
Just had another 6.0.
I have read almost everything he’s written. Wonderful!
SE Mom, keeping Free Republic neat and tidy since Tahrir Square.
Or it's possible it spent all the juice in Japan and there'll be mild quakes or nothing at all on this side.
Here’s a good picture of what’s happening: http://bravenewclimate.com/2011/03/15/fukushima-15-march-summary/
Latest Twitter from Premier Hussein: “Present, but not for long.”
I think that explains the "stoic Japanese" more than all the other explanations I've heard.
Yesterday Rush was going on and on about how the people in Tokyo were "golfing and going about their lives". I couldn't think of the phrase but "while others are turning a blind eye" seems to fit nicely.
Update time = Tue Mar 15 15:32:10 UTC 2011
MAG UTC DATE-TIME
y/m/d h:m:s LAT deg LON deg DEPT km Region MAP 5.2 2011/03/15 13:37:54 37.678 141.957 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.8 2011/03/15 13:27:54 37.6 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.2 2011/03/15 11:46:20 40.530 142.689 13.7 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.0 2011/03/15 11:43:48 37.819 145.118 18.2 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.2 2011/03/15 11:06:16 37.145 142.375 22.3 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.2 2011/03/15 10:50:00 35.593 141.889 24.9 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 6.0 2011/03/15 09:49:54 37.348 142.406 15.3 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.3 2011/03/15 08:48:25 37.500 143.642 35.3 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.2 2011/03/15 08:01:47 40.436 143.240 29.5 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.0 2011/03/15 07:08:29 38.336 142.211 30.1 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.0 2011/03/15 05:31:25 36.162 142.232 25.2 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.0 2011/03/15 03:25:20 1.781 31.298 10.1 LAKE ALBERT REGION, UGANDA
MAP 5.1 2011/03/15 03:21:35 37.680 143.941 25.0 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MAP 6.0 2011/03/15 15:23:54 40.404 143.090 9.0 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.2 2011/03/15 13:37:54 37.678 141.957 21.3 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 6.2 2011/03/15 13:31:47 35.300 138.700 10.0 EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.8 2011/03/15 13:27:54 37.626 142.320 1.0 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
That would be all Japan would need is for Fuji to erupt too.
There is precedent for it too, Fuji erupted about 30-40 days after the last Major quake in the affected area.
The area around 40.404°N, 143.090°E s a busy place these days. This could go on for some time.
WNN is reporting:
“JAIF reported that temperatures in the cooling ponds at units 5 and 6 are increasing, but the reason for this is not yet available.”
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS_Possible_damage_at_Fukushima_Daiichi_2_1503111.html
I am flabbergasted the president is actually going to South America while the Middle East, North Africa and Japan are in the middle of major crisis. It’s mindboggling. He postponed important trips before for health care vote, didn’t he?
Yesterday there were many reports of several trains just disappearing. ( including a bullet train) Has anyone read anything more about it? Seems to me the trains would have been swept INSHORE..and when the waters receded, they’d be pretty visible..
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