TSUNAMI WARNING ISSUED FOR JAPAN, RUSSIA AND OTHER REGIONS

[bulmercke]

A great set of pictures from Japan by

The Boston Globe.

Thanks for the link Lite Beer. Truly incredible pictures.

[Lite Beer]

Over 10,000 deaths feared in quake-tsunami, nuclear crisis continues

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The death toll from Friday's devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern and eastern Japan will likely surpass 10,000, the Miyagi police chief said Sunday as Japan grapples with widespread damage and a crisis at one of two affected nuclear plants.

Japanese authorities scrambled to control overheating reactors at the quake-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, and some 80,000 people joined more than 450,000 other evacuees from quake- and tsunami-affected regions by moving out of a 20-kilometer radius from the plant a day after one of its reactors partially melted Saturday.

The magnitude of the country's biggest recorded quake was revised upward the same day from 8.8 to 9.0, making it one of the largest in history, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, adding that a major aftershock is still quite likely while removing its tsunami alert for the archipelago.

Continued.

My linkhttp://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110313p2g00m0dm053000c.html

[gregb]

QUOTE FROM INTERNET:"I fully expect the MSM (both in Japan and the US) to downplay the potential threat of a nuclear disaster in order to prevent panic and mayhem. Controlling whole populations by manipulation of the truth and outright lies is their forte.

Best not to believe them, follow Hillary’s expressed fears and get the “real news” from Aljazeera and RT."

And very pertinent it is too.

And just what would you have them do instead? Based on the evidence available, there does not appear to be an indication of a meltdown in the reactor core. And every hour that passes should be causing the core to cool further and further, which means the threat level is decreasing. There is clear evidence of radioactive steam from an overpressure of coolant due to extreme temperatures. That is it. This is not a meltdown. Even the use of the phrase "partial meltdown" is incorrect. That is like saying "a little pregnant". The core either melted or it didn't. In this case, it appears it did not. It simply got hot enough that the radioactive steam built up too much pressure and needed to vent. Whatever idiotic government official coined the term "partial meltdown" deserves to lose his job.

I think the authorities are being very responsible here. Despite the fact that the odds favor no further escalation of the crisis, they are evacuating the public just in case, and honestly telling them that this is only a precaution. Am I to understand you would rather they cause a panic because some moron on the internet doesn't understand physics?

If you have evidence that there is an actual meltdown in the reactor core, I am all ears. Let's see it. All the evidence I've seen says the radiation leaks are limited to the coolant water.

[WarpSpeed]

The water appears to be moving at about 25km per hour. Hardly a problem for birds.

?,so therefore the cars on the road trying to escape in the last 5 seconds appear to be doing what speed?,because you can bet the tsunami would have passed them within seconds.

PST.

Look more closely there are numerous helicopters around filming and flying in all different directions and heights it is a shadow of other choppers above or beside the one reporting at that moment projecting a shadow on the ground, likely they're higher based on the size of the projected shadows, it stands to reason they would be following the wave and flying on a trajectory towards this chopper. They disappear once they have moved past the chopper that is reporting..

The footage is coming from a chopper,the objects seem to be alot closer to ground,can only see one more chopper aswell.

PST.

No they're not, they're shadows from above and you only see one chopper in the view because they aren't seeking choppers they're watching the wave it just so happened that that particular chopper came into the shot but you have no real idea of how many there are, based on the numbers of different angles though it stands to reason there are several but you convince yourself otherwise it seems you already have. I can hear the conspiracy theories now, "it must be a UFO that manipulated the entire earthquake" ...

[Lite Beer]

Japan firms shut plants, quake set to deal blow to economy

(Reuters) - Japanese automakers, electronics firms and oil refiners shut key factories after a massive earthquake and tsunami struck the northeast coast, underscoring the challenge facing the government as it rushes to limit the economic blow.

Electronics giant Sony Corp has suspended operations at eight factories including one making optical film that was flooded by the tsunami triggered by Friday's 8.9-magnitude quake. Nissan Motor halted output at all four of its domestic assembly factories and said restarting them could depend on whether it can get parts.

Story Continued Here.

-- Reuters 2011-03-13

[bulmercke]

QUOTE FROM INTERNET:"I fully expect the MSM (both in Japan and the US) to downplay the potential threat of a nuclear disaster in order to prevent panic and mayhem. Controlling whole populations by manipulation of the truth and outright lies is their forte.

Best not to believe them, follow Hillary’s expressed fears and get the “real news” from Aljazeera and RT."

And very pertinent it is too.

And just what would you have them do instead? Based on the evidence available, there does not appear to be an indication of a meltdown in the reactor core. And every hour that passes should be causing the core to cool further and further, which means the threat level is decreasing. There is clear evidence of radioactive steam from an overpressure of coolant due to extreme temperatures. That is it. This is not a meltdown. Even the use of the phrase "partial meltdown" is incorrect. That is like saying "a little pregnant". The core either melted or it didn't. In this case, it appears it did not. It simply got hot enough that the radioactive steam built up too much pressure and needed to vent. Whatever idiotic government official coined the term "partial meltdown" deserves to lose his job.

I think the authorities are being very responsible here. Despite the fact that the odds favor no further escalation of the crisis, they are evacuating the public just in case, and honestly telling them that this is only a precaution. Am I to understand you would rather they cause a panic because some moron on the internet doesn't understand physics?

If you have evidence that there is an actual meltdown in the reactor core, I am all ears. Let's see it. All the evidence I've seen says the radiation leaks are limited to the coolant water.

gregb - I hope you're right. But don't expect the Japanese government (or any of the ABC networks for that matter) to be too forthcomimg about real facts and specifics at this particular time. It never works that way.

This is a national disaster and - like any war or event of that magnitude - information is the first casualty.

[jfchandler]

If you have evidence that there is an actual meltdown in the reactor core, I am all ears. Let's see it. All the evidence I've seen says the radiation leaks are limited to the coolant water.

Greg, you should tune into the other thread specifically on the reactors here...

Indeed, the Japanese govt. has confirmed there has been a "partial melt down" in Daichi Reactor No. 1 and probably in Reactor 3 today as well... The specifics of that, apparently, mean that the reactor fuel rods cladding has melted or become deformed and the fuel rods themselves have been exposed, leading to the release of radioactive cesium and iodine into the environment.

Now tonight, in addition, there's an unconfirmed report, a source, telling a German newspaper that there may be an actual full-scale melt down occurring... But that's not been confirmed, and may or may not be true... But the partial melt down issue has been confirmed by the government themselves.

[appropriate]

Wonder what affect the volcano eruption will have.

A volcano in southwestern Japan erupted Sunday after nearly two weeks of relative silence, sending ash and rocks up to four kilometres (two and a half miles) into the air, a local official says.

[bulmercke]

Japan races to avert multiple nuclear meltdowns

By ERIC TALMADGE and MARI YAMAGUCHI - Associated Press - 43 minutes ago -

QUOTE FROM ARTICLE:"Japan's nuclear crisis intensified Sunday as authorities raced to combat the threat of multiple reactor meltdowns and more than 170,000 people evacuated the quake- and tsunami-savaged northeastern coast where fears spread over possible radioactive contamination.

Nuclear plant operators were frantically trying to keep temperatures down in a series of nuclear reactors - including one where officials feared a partial meltdown could be happening Sunday - to prevent the disaster from growing worse."

http://news.ino.com/headlines/?newsid=6897685677472710

[bulmercke]

Japan Says Second Blast Possible at Plant; Radiation Falls - Bloomberg

March 13 (Bloomberg) - Japanese officials battling to prevent a potential meltdown at a nuclear power station said an explosion was possible at a second reactor building after the plant’s cooling system failed.

Water levels temporarily fell at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s No. 3 reactor at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant 135 miles north of Tokyo, raising the possibility of a hydrogen explosion, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said in Tokyo today.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-03-13/japan-says-second-blast-possible-at-plant-radiation-falls.html

[bulmercke]

Another reactor at Fukushima nuke plant loses cooling functions

Kyodo News - 13 march 2011 -

"Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Sunday another reactor of its quake-hit Fukushima nuclear power plants had lost its cooling functions, while at least 15 people at a nearby hospital were found to have been exposed to radioactivity.

The utility supplier notified the government early Sunday morning that the No. 3 reactor at the No. 1 Fukushima plant had lost the ability to cool the reactor core. The reactor is now in the process of releasing radioactive steam, according to top government spokesman Yukio Edano.

It was the sixth reactor overall at the Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2 plants to undergo cooling failure since the massive earthquake and ensuing tsunami struck Japan on Friday."

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/77230.html

Edited March 13, 2011 by bulmercke

[Maestro]

BREAKING NEWS: Cooling system pump stops at Tokai nuclear power plant: fire dep't (00:59 UTC+8)

-- Kyodo News 2011-03-13

[PST]

PST.

No they're not, they're shadows from above and you only see one chopper in the view because they aren't seeking choppers they're watching the wave it just so happened that that particular chopper came into the shot but you have no real idea of how many there are, based on the numbers of different angles though it stands to reason there are several but you convince yourself otherwise it seems you already have. I can hear the conspiracy theories now, "it must be a UFO that manipulated the entire earthquake" ...

[/quote

Nah,not having it,count how many helicopters you see,and let me know.

And who's mentioned UFO's?????,thats your insecurities coming to the forefront.,and how do you 'manipulate' a natural disaster?.

Toodle pip.

PST.

BYW,how many choppers do you think would be in the air that soon after the earthquake? (think about it).

[jfchandler]

Maestro and Bulmerke, fyi, at the mods direction, we were advised to post all the nuclear reactor news in the separate "Meltdown" thread, and reserve this thread for other general EQ/Tsunami news...

[bulmercke]

CNN Breaking News - new tsunami warning issued

[bulmercke]

Monster aftershock could strike within days

Adam Morton - March 14 2011 - SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

QUOTE FROM STORY:"NORTH-EASTERN Japan can expect another monster earthquake large enough to trigger a tsunami within days, the head of the Australian Seismological Centre says.

The director, Kevin McCue, said there had been more than 100 smaller quakes since Friday, but a larger aftershock was likely."

http://www.smh.com.a...0313-1bt2p.html

[webfact]

Large tsunami confirmed in north east Japan - TV /RT @REUTERSFLASH:

Kyodo says Japan issued 3m tsunami warning on Ecoast, incl Fukushima. AP says gray smoke is seen on Fukushima reactor. /RT @egalite_twitted:

[bulmercke]

CNN reporting waves 3 metres high seen heading for area noth of Sendai.

[webfact]

The shaky official on NHK was claiming that the tsunami has not yet been spotted. Very conflicting reports. /RT @TimeOutTokyo:

[webfact]

False tsunami alarm, for now. /RT @sandrajapandra:

[webfact]

JMA has not issued any tsunami advisories or warnings, and no strong earthquakes have taken place. /RT @mpoppel:

[webfact]

Japanese officials are denying rumors of an incoming tsunami; no tsunami warning; no strong earthquake has taken place /RT @mpoppel:

[webfact]

About 2,000 bodies found on shores of Japan's Miyagi prefecture - Kyodo /RT @REUTERSFLASH:

[Jdietz]

Looks like the hydrogen explosion at Daiichi plant #3 set off the seismographs, triggering the tsunami warning.

[animatic]

Looks like the hydrogen explosion at Daiichi plant #3 set off the seismographs, triggering the tsunami warning.

Wouldn't that have the be an extremely large explosion to be of such large seismic proportions to resemble a 'tsunami engine'?

[webfact]

Information hotlline of Sendai city. 022-265-2471, 022-224-1919 (Eng, 24h) /#jishin_e #earthquake #tsunami #japan /RT @veen_NT: RT @UKinJapan:

[webfact]

Letter from Tokyo

By Thidarat Noisuwan Brouqueyre, a Thai freelance translator

I've been in Tokyo for 12 years, long enough to become accustomed to earthquakes, but the tremor that struck on Friday was not the usual kind. Usually we can feel a quake easily if we're in a high building in contrast to being closer to the ground where there is less possibility for us to feel it.

But this unusual quake last Friday was so powerful I had a hard time keeping my balance while getting off a train and standing on the platform at a subway station. It was like someone was trying to turn the earth from the left side to the right side and then again from right to left and this continued for a long time. At that moment, people at the station, including me, recognised that this was something "serious".

Right after that there was an announcement that due to the strong quake all train systems in Tokyo would stop operating with no sign of resumption. The ground still moved a lot, as if we were standing on a boat floating on the sea, while rushing to escape from the subway to the ground above.

The people around me kept saying that they had never experienced such a long, powerful quake. Of course, "me too" was my response. Luckily, we happened to reach our stop just when the quake started but millions of passengers on trains who got stuck in the tunnels must have faced a very difficult time getting out of there.

A moment later on the streets we came upon the scene of millions of people walking back home or to a shelter where they could protect themselves from the tough, cold night. Taxis were the only mass transport available but an empty one was close to impossible to find. A long line of people waiting to buy a bicycle at a cycle shop was noticeable. Mobile phone systems had collapsed, but public phones and the Internet still worked fine. About 11 hours after being hit by the quake, Tokyo started running its trains again despite the aftershocks.

The following day, Tokyo was still restless from anxiety over the possibility of more strong earthquakes - along with panic over the possibility of radiation leaking from the nuclear power plant whose exterior was blown off by an explosion in the aftermath of the quake.

Shopping malls and restaurants in Tokyo, which are always full during weekends, became almost deserted, as people stormed supermarkets and convenience stores.

Food, water, flashlights, candles and survival supplies disappeared from the shelves as if they had been swept away by the waves. A customer in a supermarket said to herself that "I feel bad, what an odd situation!".

Despite the announcements from the government that the situation was still under control, calm reactions were needed. People in Tokyo are still in panic. Some foreign residents I know decided to fly back to their home countries immediately. Some international schools officially announced at least three days of suspended classes. For the moment, there is less and less uneasiness about the earthquake but yet fear remains of radioactive emissions from the nuclear power plants. However, most people in Tokyo are still in town, living their lives as usual but ready to evacuate at anytime.

-- The Nation 2011-03-14

[jfchandler]

Bloomberg-BusinessWeek:

The Bank of Japan poured a record 15 trillion yen ($183 billion) into the world’s third-biggest economy today as the earthquake triggered a plunge in stocks and surge in credit risk. BOJ Governor Masaaki Shirakawa told reporters late yesterday he’s ready to unleash “massive” liquidity.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Average tumbled 6.3 percent as of 1:30 p.m. local time today adding to the 1.7 percent drop on March 11 as the earthquake struck less than 30 minutes before the market closed. The yen weakened 0.4 percent against the dollar after rising 1.4 pecent on March 11.

[webfact]

USGS: Aftershock of magnitude 6.1 felt in Sendai, northeastern Japan. /RT @SkyNewsBreak:

[webfact]

UK Ambassador to Japan tells Sky News that several British nationals remain unaccounted for following earthquake. /RT @SkyNewsBreak: