Meltdown Likely Under Way At Japan Nuclear Reactor

[animatic]

An inflammatory post deriding posters in this topic has been removed. Several posters are using their time to keep us up to date on this important topic and doing an excellent job of it. I suspect this site has the best concentrated information out there now that can't be obtained from any other single site. Any further attacks will not be tolerated.

Here hear!

[JulianLS]

From NHK website:

Japan's science ministry says relatively high radiation levels have been detected on 2 consecutive days about 30 kilometers northwest of the quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The radiation measured 170 microsieverts per hour on Thursday and 150 microsieverts on Friday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says the government will take appropriate measures if this level of contamination continues in the area for a long period. But he says this would be unlikely.

Radiation was measured for 2 hours from 10AM on Friday at 18 spots in areas 30 to 60 kilometers from the plant in Fukushima Prefecture.

Readings of 170 microsieverts were recorded at the same location at 2 PM on the previous day, Thursday.

Experts say exposure to this amount of radiation for 6 to 7 hours would result in absorption of the maximum level considered safe for one year.

The ministry also observed radiation levels of 0.5 to 52 microsieverts per hour at other observation points within a 30 to 60 kilometer radius of the plant. It says these levels are all higher than normal, but not an immediate threat to health.

The government has evacuated residents living within a 20 kilometer radius of the plant, and instructed those in a 20 to 30 kilometer radius to stay indoors.

Friday, March 18, 2011 17:38 +0900 (JST)

Edited March 18, 2011 by JulianLS

[jfchandler]

In other good news, it looks like the reported SPEEDI radiation levels are falling across the board.

http://www.bousai.ne.jp/eng/

Ibaraki is down from 950+ two days ago, to 860 something yesterday, to 761nGy/h right now. That station has continuously reported the highest levels, at least 10x the other sites. All other numbers also look lower.

SPEEDI reports levels in nGy/h, divide by 1000 to get MicroSievert/h (μSv/h)

Jd, thanks for snagging that.. I was thinking it was about that time of the day again....for new readings...

BTW, re that, I haven't seen this exactly reported anywhere. But it does seem like the higher radiation readings earlier in the week were all associated with the several hydrogen gas or other explosions at the various reactors... When those kinds of things haven't been occurring, the regular ongoing emission readings seem to do much better. Let's hope there aren't any more BOOMS!

[jfchandler]

By the way, we've been talking about and sometimes sourcing a couple of the major Japanese daily newspapers lately, Asahi Shimbun and Mainichi Daily...

Other than using Google Translate, does anyone know if their daily news reports are posted online anywhere in English full text???

[Maestro]

By the way, we've been talking about and sometimes sourcing a couple of the major Japanese daily newspapers lately, Asahi Shimbun and Mainichi Daily...

Other than using Google Translate, does anyone know if their daily news reports are posted online anywhere in English full text???

The Mainichi Daily News is in English here but the articles have no time stamp, which makes it difficult to say how current they are. Same with the English edition of Ashi Shimbun.

[jfchandler]

NHK reporting almost 300,000 Japanese are in evacuation shelters throughout the country now on the one week anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami...

Included in the death toll thus far, NHK reports, are some 29 people who've died after arriving at shelters.

The broadcaster told the story of a 97-year-old woman who's living in one of the shelters, and another man who had been evacuated to one of the shelters, was working to distribute food there, and then died suddenly.

The broadcast also ran a report on doctors and nurses in one community who yesterday established an evacuation center specifically for mostly elderly people who are bed-ridden and need full-time nursing and medical care, and cannot care for themselves.

Some people are having to move to their second or third shelter, as the evacuation areas have expanded and authorities at some of the most overcrowded shelters closest to the reactors have been trying to shift people to other less crowded shelters in more distant areas.

[jfchandler]

Prime Minister Kan on television giving a pep talk, and promising that "obstacles will be overcome" in getting relief supplies distributed.

He calls the situation at the Fukushima reactors "very grave," but says he's determined to overcome the crisis.

"We do not have time to be pessimistic."

Voices sympathy for all those living in evacuation centers, but says the centers will continue "for some time."

"For the Japanese people, this is a great test for all of the people of Japan."

"We are going to create Japan once again from scratch."

Regarding the Fukushima plant, "Everything has been disclosed to the Japanese public. We have shared what we know with the international community."

"In the not so distance future, the overall situation will be controlled and we will be able to emerge from this crisis. That is what I want to tell the people of Japan."

Edited March 18, 2011 by jfchandler

[elcent]

until March 16 only

[jfchandler]

The Asahi newspaper has a pretty good map showing the prefectures of Japan and how some of the major quake and tsunami damage was located...

[elcent]

the latest

[elcent]

(All times are local in Japan GMT+9)

• Timestamp: 9:01pm Prime minister Naoto Kan says that the government has been disclosing all the information it has on the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
  
  We have been honestly saying that the situation with the nuclear plant accident remains very serious.
  
  

~

Which could mean it's getting more and more out of control. He's talking in past tense. Looks like getting prepared for the worst case scenario.

Edited March 18, 2011 by elcent

[jfchandler]

In a bit of a strange report, NHK was just detailing the new water spraying equipment that's arrived from the Tokyo Fire Department, some 30 vehicles including a firetruck with an extended ladder that can spray water from a height of 22 meters, and another truck that can pull water from the nearby ocean to use on the water spraying operation.

But then NHK added that the TFD operation planned for this afternoon was postponed because the ocean water pumping truck wasn't operating properly.

They also reported, though this seems a bit amazing, that the high ladder truck can spray a stream of water that can reach targets up to 2 kilometers away.

The following is a long distance image of the JSDF water spraying operation on Reactor 3 on Friday afternoon.

Edited March 18, 2011 by jfchandler

[Tywais]

They also reported, though this seems a bit amazing, that the high ladder truck can spray a stream of water that can reach targets up to 2 kilometers away.

Definitely has to be a typo/communication there as that would have to be ballistic velocities. Perhaps they can draw water from that far away.

[Jdietz]

Some very interesting reading and analysis of the current situation, without the usual hyperbole here: http://mitnse.com/

Information about the incident at the Fukushima Nuclear Plants in Japan hosted by http://web.mit.edu/nse/ :: Maintained by the students of the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT

[jfchandler]

NHK reports no more water spraying planned tonight, as workers focus on trying to restore electrical service to the reactors.

[elcent]

Radiation cloud movement

[jfchandler]

Perhaps something lost in translation...It also seemed extraordinarily far to my ears... I'll see if I can find the answer.

They also reported, though this seems a bit amazing, that the high ladder truck can spray a stream of water that can reach targets up to 2 kilometers away.

Definitely has to be a typo/communication there as that would have to be ballistic velocities. Perhaps they can draw water from that far away.

[jfchandler]

I didn't even mention the countless NHK English narrator references during the afternoon of the firefighters "hosing" the reactors...

Some very interesting reading and analysis of the current situation, without the usual hyperbole

[elcent]

Data is updated every minute so each time you visit this page you should see the graph update. Units are in uR/hr. Highest levels detected during March 15 Fukushima incident 36uR/hr about 3x normal background levels. graph here click

[Jdietz]

Radiation cloud movement

Actually: A simulation of the movement of a radiation cloud, assuming that the reactors are continuously spewing out radioactive particles at a constant rate. Not based on any real data except extrapolated wind.

Edited March 18, 2011 by Jdietz

[jfchandler]

And as I recall, it also was based on the weather conditions present at the time the mapping estimation was prepared, Tuesday or so, which may or may not remain constant as the days progress.

I think it was intended to be more illustrative...than an actual prediction of what is occurring.

Radiation cloud movement

Actually: A simulation of the movement of a radiation cloud, assuming that the reactors are continuously spewing out radioactive particles at a constant rate. Not based on any real data except extrapolated wind.

Edited March 18, 2011 by jfchandler

[elcent]

Radiation cloud movement

Actually: A simulation of the movement of a radiation cloud, assuming that the reactors are continuously spewing out radioactive particles at a constant rate. Not based on any real data except extrapolated wind.

it covers from the 12th to the 17th and I guess it's made with actual data, even with low radiation which was/is sneaking out of there. This also explains the low radiation in Tokyo.

[Jdietz]

Data is updated every minute so each time you visit this page you should see the graph update. Units are in uR/hr. Highest levels detected during March 15 Fukushima incident 36uR/hr about 3x normal background levels. graph here click

Thanks for that, new one to monitor

Yet another new unit, microRad per hour. To convert to 'our standard' microSievert, divide by 100.

[elcent]

Data is updated every minute so each time you visit this page you should see the graph update. Units are in uR/hr. Highest levels detected during March 15 Fukushima incident 36uR/hr about 3x normal background levels. graph here click

Thanks for that, new one to monitor

Yet another new unit, microRad per hour. To convert to 'our standard' microSievert, divide by 100.

It looks as if it doesn't update here.

[Jdietz]

Radiation cloud movement

Actually: A simulation of the movement of a radiation cloud, assuming that the reactors are continuously spewing out radioactive particles at a constant rate. Not based on any real data except extrapolated wind.

it covers from the 12th to the 17th and I guess it's made with actual data, even with low radiation which was/is sneaking out of there. This also explains the low radiation in Tokyo.

IIRC that map is the same one posted on the 13th, hasn't been updated since. It's a model based on a 'make it pretty' amount of particles (constant at 0.1*10^19 units), the real winds of the 12th and 13th, and forecasts through the 17th. It was on some German language website, need to go back a lot of pages to find it again.

[elcent]

Radiation cloud movement

Actually: A simulation of the movement of a radiation cloud, assuming that the reactors are continuously spewing out radioactive particles at a constant rate. Not based on any real data except extrapolated wind.

it covers from the 12th to the 17th and I guess it's made with actual data, even with low radiation which was/is sneaking out of there. This also explains the low radiation in Tokyo.

IIRC that map is the same one posted on the 13th, hasn't been updated since. It's a model based on a 'make it pretty' amount of particles (constant at 0.1*10^19 units), the real winds of the 12th and 13th, and forecasts through the 17th. It was on some German language website, need to go back a lot of pages to find it again.

roger that. It was Der Spiegel then. thanks

[elcent]

Der ARD-Korrespondent in Japan, Robert Hetkämper, ist hingegen der Überzeugung, dass hier Menschen verheizt werden. Für gefährliche Arbeiten würden von Tepco gerne Obdachlose, Gastarbeiter, Arbeitslose und sogar Minderjährige ausgebeutet werden. Sie würden als "Wegwerfarbeiter" bezeichnet, weil sie, wenn sie zu stark radioaktiv belastet sind, entlassen würden. Hetkämper habe mit einem Arzt gesprochen, der dies bestätigt habe. Diese "grausame Geschichte" passiere nicht nur jetzt, sondern schon seit Jahrzehnten. Und sie erinnert, wie die WDR-Kommentatorin sagt, an die Hunderttausende von Liquidatoren, die in der Sowjetunion für den Bau des Sarkophags um den Tschernobyl-Reaktor eingesetzt und geopfert wurden. Seltsam ist dies in Japan, wenn man dort Menschen verheizt, obgleich man sonst gerne auf Roboter setzt, die in Fukushima aber nicht vorhanden zu sein scheinen.

According to ARD (German TV) correspondent Robert Hetkaempfer in Japan. "The people that are used by TEPCO to do all the dangerous jobs are homeless, jobless, guest-workers and even many are under-aged and declared to heroes but in fact are being burned to death" In other words disposable workers. TEPCO has taken its own people out of the area.

Sad, sad and sad!!!

http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/2/149483

Hetkämper habe mit einem Arzt gesprochen, der dies bestätigt habe. Diese "grausame Geschichte" passiere nicht nur jetzt, sondern schon seit Jahrzehnten

this was also confirmed by a doctor at the site and that this is common practice there since decades. Edited March 18, 2011 by elcent

[elcent]

(All times are local in Japan GMT+9)

• Timestamp: 10:01pm There's no reason to ban travel to Japan, says the World Health Organisation.
  Tokyo's radiation levels are increasing but still not a health risk, says the WHO, which "is not advising
  travel restrictions to Japan'' outside the 30km exclusion zone around the Fukushima nuclear plant.
  "In general, travellers returning from Japan do not represent a health hazard," the agency added.

aljazeera

[elcent]

10:22pm Spanish citizens are to be flown out of Japan, a government spokesman has said.

During the course of the morning, preparations will be finalised to send off a plane that the government will place, free of charge, at the disposition of Spanish citizens who wish to leave.

aljazeera

[elcent]

The cold weather has also brought the Flu now - SPON