Japan Earthquake

Japan Earthquake | Page 163

@Markfm Do you think that the leaks could be a result of aftershocks? It could explain their sudden appearance.
by Meretisa 3/28/2011 5:38:28 PM

I will bow out gracefully for now and let the linear thinkers do their thing.
by Karen Warren 3/28/2011 5:38:36 PM

I know Dean was on a little while ago to say hello. Does anyone know if he had his "expert briefing"and has he responded to the questions that were asked of him yesterday?
by Maureen Burke 3/28/2011 5:39:19 PM

@Karen- I will do same. @Sky- sorry. but I AM here because I fear those numbers are only a drop in the bucket in the big picture for Japan.
by Meretisa 3/28/2011 5:39:39 PM

@markfm in the first days as pressure was building the Prime Minister visited the site and apparently tepco say they delayed venting until after his visit - therefore is it possible that to relieve pressure in the interim they dug trenches to drain into to relieve pressure?
by elainekirk 3/28/2011 5:39:41 PM

@Maureen Burke No, he left without a word
by VeenOui 3/28/2011 5:39:52 PM

Beats me, I'm EE not mechanical. I half expect that those were cracked pipes/bad seals, and that the water came from test-firing the pump systems. It could be runoff from all the fire truck spraying, not sure. Thew aftershocks certainly wouldn't have helped any pipes that were already stressed badly.
by Markfm 3/28/2011 5:40:15 PM

@Meretisa Somebody should create a spin-off blog to discuss political, spiritual, health aspects of this tragedy, which of course are immense.
by Bobby1 3/28/2011 5:40:24 PM

@Bobby: Why? Let it flow. Everyone comes from a different place with a different perspective. It's important that we respect each other despite the difference.
by Karen Warren 3/28/2011 5:41:42 PM

@Tenzing - continuing [I hit the enter key too soon]

As for the term "falsifiable": The principal feature about a scientific theory is that it is falsifiable -- that is, that it is physically possible to devise an experiment which could prove the theory false. Religion, spirituality [and some would say sociology and psychology] on the other hand have theories which are unfalsifiable -- that is, there is no way to construct an experiment which would disprove the theory. For example - if one theorizes the existence of an omniscient omnipresent deity, there is no way to construct an experiment to disprove this theory, as the hypothesized deity has infinite influence upon the outcome, and it can always be argued thus that the deity intentionally hides itself from provable existance.
by Joshua Diamond 3/28/2011 5:42:19 PM

@Karen Warren It seems that the focus here is on technical issues. Personally I don't mind.
by Bobby1 3/28/2011 5:42:32 PM

This is what I've been trying to say:"There was also deep concern early Sunday about initial readings of radioactive iodine 134, which has a half-life of only 53 minutes and would not be present in large quantities unless fission had restarted."
by Jim Carver 3/28/2011 5:42:45 PM

@ bobby1- I don't think that's necessary. When there is news to be discussed it is discussed. During slow times I have seen this blog turn into a madhouse(SNL scenarios etc...)
by Maureen Burke 3/28/2011 5:42:51 PM

Whenever i hread anything from the IAEA, I feel as though they really should not be in charge of speaking as an authority.
english.kyodonews.jp
by VeenOui 3/28/2011 5:43:33 PM

@elaine -- I doubt those were new trenches -- the roads were impassable early on, I doubt TEPCO would have had large excavators just laying around on site. It is mind-boggling that TEPCO would have had to delay initial venting to give the PM a PR fly-by opportunity.
by Markfm 3/28/2011 5:43:41 PM

www.nytimes.com
by Jim Carver 3/28/2011 5:43:48 PM

@Bobby1 Rueters presented many aspects of the Earthquake and Tsunami and Nuclear Crisis in Japan. I think the main difference here is that Rueters has a legal responsibility as a News Agency in what information is presented. We, our community here has the luxury of uncensored exploration!
by Tenzing 3/28/2011 5:44:01 PM

@Tenzing Thats exactly the case
by George Gibb 3/28/2011 5:45:03 PM

Am I the only one that clicks a link, sees only a video and closes it? I can't stand news sites so lazy they can't put something into words.
by Hank Scorpio 3/28/2011 5:45:09 PM

@Tenzing Right on! Power to the People!
by Jim Carver 3/28/2011 5:46:14 PM

@Hank. I have the problem of not always being able to view a video. If I am in the same room as other people watching TV or somewhere public. Not to mention the speakers on my laptop leave much to be desired.
by Nancy 3/28/2011 5:46:22 PM

@hank you are not alone @VeenOui the IAEA seem impotent and this tweet from the American Ambassador in Japan shows just how much they are accepting tepco figures as - AmbassadorRoos John V. Roos
The IAEA has dispatched experts to Japan for radiation monitoring and food safety assessment. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that tweet was 3hrs ago!!!
by elainekirk 3/28/2011 5:47:33 PM

@Bobby: If you find something that touches you, put it out here... George and I already discussed it earlier. Last link has a lot of personal interviews, etc. I really have to go.... :-)
by Karen Warren 3/28/2011 5:47:39 PM

@Jim Carver Continuing or resumed fission has been the elephant in the room everyone has been dancing around to avoid mentioning.
by radioguy 3/28/2011 5:47:45 PM

@Joshua Diamond I didn't get you wrong, now worries :) I have some work to take care of right now but I want to discuss your last comment. will you be around later today?
by Tenzing 3/28/2011 5:48:14 PM

@es : no matter it does not make any sense. these are soil samples. this means that there is very much more plutonium outside. there maybe lethal hotspots. there should be no plutonium at all. it is very frightening. we all were very concerned about the mox fuel, and now it seems that these worries were right.
by Matsuoko 3/28/2011 5:48:28 PM

@Markfm TEPCO officials suggested the water could have come from the tsunami.
by es 3/28/2011 5:48:50 PM

This just does not make sense to me : Exposed workers okay

Three men exposed to high levels of radiation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have left the hospital with a clean bill of health.

The 3 workers left the National Institute of Radiological Sciences in Chiba Prefecture on Monday.

They had been receiving special medical treatment after having been exposed to radiation while installing power cables at the Number 3 reactor complex on Thursday.

Two of the men stood in radioactive water for about 2 hours. They were due to receive treatment for burns, but doctors at the institute found that this was not necessary.

The institute says the level of their exposure was up to 3,000 millisieverts, less than initially thought.

The 2 men reportedly show no symptoms of burns, and their internal organs were exposed to very low levels of radiation.

The institute says the third man also has no symptoms.

The 3 men will undergo checks at the institute in several days' time.

Doctor Fumiaki Nakayama of the institute says that even if the men do develop symptoms, they do not need treatment, and the symptoms will eventually disappear.

Monday, March 28, 2011 20:17 +0900 (JST)
www3.nhk.or.jp
by Sin 3/28/2011 5:49:16 PM

@radioguy Yeah, true, but the levels of I-134 are pretty compelling, no matter how they like to play with the numbers.
by Jim Carver 3/28/2011 5:49:30 PM

@Matsuoko Yes, it's not good in any sense.
by es 3/28/2011 5:49:32 PM

@Matsuoko ANd how far away were these from the #3 spent fuel pool? 100m, 1000m? Doesn't that make a big difference in terms of how far out the Pu goes? I mean, if they are barely testing it at the plant, how are they testing it OUTSIDE the plant?
by Jojo 3/28/2011 5:49:55 PM

@NHK Listener -- I was thinking the same thing about the "trenches" -- that these were actually piping and wiring conduits. The other possibility is that they exist for groundwater monitoring purposes, or as a line of defense to prevent runoff from flowing directly into the sea. Does anyone with more knowledge of the plants have any color on this question?
by Joshua Diamond 3/28/2011 5:50:02 PM

It's smoking gun to me.
by Jim Carver 3/28/2011 5:50:08 PM

@Sin the workers will be ok until the effects take hold
by elainekirk 3/28/2011 5:50:21 PM

@Sin 1 or 2 will probably get fatal cancer from this, but not now.
by Jojo 3/28/2011 5:50:37 PM

The exposed workers released story -- it means they are standing and walking. It does not say anything about their longterm prospects of a highly elevated risk of developing a lethal cancer or other problem. I think such stories minimize the problems these workers may face.
by Sky 3/28/2011 5:50:38 PM

@es -- Tsunami? Then where did the radioactive compounds that could bring it to 1000mS/hr reading come from? (not questioning you, just that TEPCO stating that highly radioactive water sourced from anything other than water in the reactors or poured into the SFPs is ludicrous.)
by Markfm 3/28/2011 5:51:04 PM

@Tenzing I will be here on and off as work permits for the rest of the day [NY time].
by Joshua Diamond 3/28/2011 5:51:36 PM

Effects of long-term radiation: fatal cancer, birth defects in pregnant women including genetic abnormalities, Down's Syndrome, reduced IQ.
by Jojo 3/28/2011 5:51:42 PM

@Sin: They were released because there was no sign of infection to the wounds. Nothing else can be done, for now, except monitor.
by Karen Warren 3/28/2011 5:51:44 PM

@Sin That does not really surprise me.. Extremities can handle pretty high doses and no problems. If it were to the chest/thigh area it would be different.
by NHK Listener 3/28/2011 5:51:55 PM

@Jojo they found it at 500, 500, 750, 1000 meters distance from #1.
by Matsuoko 3/28/2011 5:51:56 PM

@Sin Didn't they say in an earlier article that they'd been exposed for like 3 hours (later changed to 40 minutes)? Didn't they also say that the levels were between 2-6Sv?? That is "walking dead". :(
by Meretisa 3/28/2011 5:51:57 PM

@radioguy: from what im reading on the physics blogs, one thing i read is that this may be happening ~ in this kind of way...http://geology.about.com/od/geophysics/a/aaoklo.htm
by elise 3/28/2011 5:52:11 PM