FROM THE COMMENTS SECTION OF THE LINK:
think it means it’s no longer in the corium ‘blob’ state but capable of traveling into the earth’s mantle in a stream-like state; which is much worse than any previous worst case scenario. There will be no remediation possible; resulting in radiological contamination of underground water-ways (interacting ocean and fresh-water aquifers) within this entire region, for hundreds-of-thousands of years.
Given the amount of energy needed to maintain a liquified condition without significant surface cooling is unusual. Classical thermodynamics has left the building…
I read that post. When knowledgeable physicists are worried, there’s a problem.
OK, now that REALLY sounds alarming.
If it's so dang heavy, why doesn't it travel down instead of spreading laterally? If it IS heading to the earth's core, how is that a problem? I mean, as long as we don't brew beer out of Core-water?
So vacationing to the Earth's mantle is no longer the safe family weekend getaway it used to be? :)
In all seriousness, it's time to retire the current generation of plants and move forward with thorium reactor technology. It really should have been done decades ago.
I occurred to me that other materials in the vicinity will be melted and become part of the alloy mix.
Eventually, I think that the nuke fuel will be diluted by other materials until the reaction slows and the blob cools/solidifies.
Not saying that this is not a serious disaster.
Last weekend I took my radiation survey meter to the grocery store. It registered a little at the shelves of canned tuna....slightly alarming.