japanese earthquake!

[kayfox]

The big impression Im getting from all the news reports and such is that most people and reporters dont quite understand what exactly is going on with those explosions, or with the entire incident in general.  Especially in relation to installed nuclear plants in the US and Canada.

Example: What caused the explosions, what damage was caused?  The explosions were hydrogen/oxygen conflagrations resulting from superheated steam being released from the cooling system, when released this steam decomposed chemically into hydrogen and oxygen, there was also some hydrogen present from catalytic reactions with zirconium in pipe claddings.  The damage that resulted from the explosions was mostly to the building surrounding the containment building (some confusion may result from most North American reactors not having buildings around the containment building).  At last report, only minor damage was done to the systems contained within the building.

The cause identified so far for the incident was a failure of the diesel generators used for backup cooling system power in the event of a scram.  These generators failed because they or their fuel tanks (reports are sketchy) were flooded with tsunami water.  Since none of the generators lasted past an hour after the start of the event, no power was available from another reactor on site, and no power was available from the electrical grid, the cooling systems failed and all the efforts as of late has been to try and keep the cores as cool as possible and hope they dont turn out worse than Three Mile Island.  This generally cant happen in the United States (Im not sure about Canada) because nuclear plants in the US need to have on-site diesel generating capacity to exceed 150% of operating power requirements and be fueled for something like a week's worth of operation.

As for the radiation, its all relatively minor at this time (646 μSv/hour (0.646 mSv/h) at 11:10 on 17 March), although the workers at the plant are expected to be exposed to more (250mSv/yr) than twice what is considered potentially cancerous (100mSv/yr).  For perspective, the radiation shielded control room at Chernobyl 4 was at 40mSv/hr immediately after the explosion, the area outside the reactor building was at about 0.3-5 Sv/hr and the town of Pripyat was experiencing around and average of 50mSv/hr.

[Unition]

I finally heard back from my relatives and brother in Japan - thankfully they are fine, and their homes escaped damage from the tsunami.

[Unition]

200 workers at the nuclear plant remain behind to die of radiation poisoning:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1367125/Japan-tsunami-Fukushima-Fifty-suicide-mission-battle-nuclear-meltdown.html

Radiation leak is now serious enough to kill people:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1367684/Nuclear-plant-chief-weeps-Japanese-finally-admit-radiation-leak-kill-people.html

[kayfox]

Visual aid found:

http://xkcd.com/radiation/

[Foxxphyre]

Daily mail is barely a news source.. that XKCD chart is awesome though :D .  Things will be more or less fine.  This whole thing should just go to show how safe Nuclear power ACTUALLY is.  Keep in mind this reactor complex wasn't built to deal with this sort of disaster...

[EmoFox]

Things will be more or less fine.  This whole thing should just go to show how safe Nuclear power ACTUALLY is.

Except for anyone with in the x-mile radius of any explosions. And Japan being Japan, and pretty much packed to the brim, that's going to be at least a couple thousand people. Not to mention if Japan's reactor complex wasn't built to handle that kind of disaster, being built in the one place that's probably the most susceptible to that kind of disaster... Well, it doesn't look very promising.

In the long term, and for people outside of Japan, there will be very little repercussions of this entire thing to haunt us. Just like in all reality, the Titanic sinking really only sucked for those who were on it. Or Hiroshima really only sucked for Japan. But that doesn't, or at least shouldn't, give anyone the right to trivialize what a tragedy it is for those people.

On a lighter note, my spell check is racist; it doesn't tell me to capitalize "japan". I find this amusing.

[Masozi]

Some of you might have seen these before but they I found these to be very good demonstrations on just how big the waves that hit Northeast Japan really were. I haven't seen these video clips used on the news and today was the first time I had seen them, all 3 of these are very good examples of the effects of a major Tsunami.   

Clip No.1  -  Japanese Coast guard ship operating several miles offshore literally Tsunami climbs over waves that are about 40 feet high (about the size of a 4 story building). The crew can be heard chattering excitedly in the background and taking photos as they probably realize whats about to happen to the shoreline behind them.
               Tsunami Climbing: Incredible video of ship heading into wave in Japan

Clip No. 2 -  The wave reaches the coastline near Noda and crashes over the sea wall, the camera pans to the right to show what looks like a boat being totally wiped out by a breaker that is about 40 - 50 feet high. The wave then floods the harbor and wrecks boats tied up there.
                earthquake japan 2011 tsunami waves footage by a japanese man in noda japan

Clip No. 3 -  This clip from inside the Sendai airport is looking out from the terminal building with stunned crowds as the tsunami washes away the cars in the parking area beneath the upper level causeway.
                 東北地方太平洋沖地震：仙台空港に津波が到達

[Taiga]

Funny, I could've sworn Hiroshima was supposed to be payback for pearl harbour. But american history never was a huge interest of mine. Or history in general for that matter.

Also, this is where the fault between the island and mainland decides to move, and we're both wiped out by earthquake/tsunami. That would suck, and be incredibly ironic. I was talking to my mom about it earlier actually, and she mentioned something that my stepdad said; apparently the beginning of the end is supposed start in May of this year. And then the world as we know it comes to an end. *dramatic music here* Sure are interesting times we live in! :p

Well, we get what we reap.  When we screw with nature, something's bound to give.  The spirits are pissed off, and this is what we are seeing now.  Hiroshima WAS supposed to be payback, yes.  Paybacks are a bitch, eh?  ;)

[Univaded_Fox]

Clip No. 3 -  This clip from inside the Sendai airport is looking out from the terminal building with stunned crowds as the tsunami washes away the cars in the parking area beneath the upper level causeway.

Unfortunately, that is what YVR would look like it the same thing happened here.

They say the more you know the less you have to fear.  Well, this is an exception...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfxHoQcHuY4