Posted by feww on March 19, 2011
Click image to enlarge. Download larger image (743 KB, JPEG)
A map of ground motion and shaking intensity from the Tohoku megaquake across Japan, prepared by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Source: NASA-EO
Other formats: Click here.
Source: USGS/EHP
Source: USGS/EHP
Posted in japan earthquake, japan earthquake map, Japan Earthquakes 2011, Tohoku earthquake map | Tagged: Japan earthquake Shaking Intensity Map, Japan Megaquake, Tohoku earthquake Shaking Intensity, Tohoku Megaquake, Tohoku quake | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on March 18, 2011
Quote of the week on dumping water from helicopters to try to cool melting nuclear reactors:
Japanese authorities have raised the alert level at the doomed Fukushima Daiichi NPP from 4 to 5 ["Accident With Wider Consequences"] on 7-notch international danger scale for nuclear disasters.
This news comes amid earlier warnings by French scientists who had already classified the incident as a category 6, just one notch below the Chernobyl disaster.
Damage sustained at the Fukushima Daiichi NPP taken March 16, 2011 and released March 17, 2011. Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO)/Handout/via Reuters
Meanwhile, Yukiya Amano, head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog (IAEA), himself a Japanese national, has flown to Tokyo to obtain “first-hand” information on the unfolding disaster. However, he has made it quite clear that he does NOT intend to visit the Fukushima NPP. Instead, he has requested “more information.”
Steam rising from the No. 3 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi NPP on March 16, 2011, released March 17, 2011. Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO)/Handout/via Reuters.
The International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES)
The INES, a logarithmic scale, which was introduced in 1990 by the IAEA to enable prompt communication, classifies the intensity of nuclear incidents as follows:
7 – Major Accident [Chernobyl disaster, criticality accident, April 1986]
6 – Serious Accident [e.g., Kyshtym incident, Mayak, former Soviet Union, steam explosion released up to 80 tons of highly radioactive material into the atmosphere, September 1957. ]
5 – Accident With Wider Consequences [e.g., Three Mile Island accident Pen State, U.S., partial meltdown release radioactive gases into the environment, March 1979.]
4 – Accident With Local Consequences [e.g., Sellafield, UK, at least 5 incidents reported between 1955 to 1979]
3 – Serious Incident [e.g., Vandellos NPP, Spain, fire destroyed control systems; the reactor was shut down, July1989]
2 – Incident [e.g., Forsmark NPP, Sweden, a backup generator failed, July 2006]
1 – Anomaly [e.g., TNPC, France, 1,600 gallons of water containing 75 kilograms (170 lb) of uranium leaked into the environment, July 2008]
0 – Deviation (No Safety Significance) [e.g., Atucha, Argentina - Reactor shutdown caused by tritium increase in reactor encasement, December 2006.]
Experts have warned that a major leak of radioactive substances from the stricken nuclear plant could pose serious health risks.
“At this point, there is still no evidence that there’s been significant radiation spread beyond the immediate zone of the reactors themselves,” Michael O’Leary, WHO’s representative in China said at a news conference.
“At the same time, we know that the situation is evolving and we need to monitor closely and see what happens over time. Things can obviously change, and have changed, over this last week.”
Although the risk to China would be minute at this stage, O’Leary said, there are other factors to consider.
“The reactors, of course, are quite far from China. The risk of spread depends on several factors. One is obviously the amount of radioactive material, or radionuclides, that are released from the reactor itself. Beyond that are weather and wind conditions that determine,” he said.
“As with anything that spreads or can spread out, the farther away you are, the more dispersed it is.”
“The emergency has sparked panic buying of iodized salt in China, based on the misunderstanding that the iodine it contains could prevent the body’s intake of radioactive iodine that could be released in the event of a major explosion at the plant.” Said a report.
“The amount of iodine in salt is very small. It wouldn’t be possible to consume enough salt to get a protective dose. In the end, not many people will need iodine supplements.”O’Leary said.
According to one estimate, you would need an intake of about 1.5kg of salt, a lethal dose, to obtain a “protective dose” from salt.
Posted in Japan Nuclear alert | Tagged: fukushima Nuclear disaster, FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR PLANT, international atomic energy mafia, meltdown, Nuclear alert, Nuclear alert level, Tepco | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on March 18, 2011
Written and updated by a Member of FIRE-EARTH Science Team
The Government and its Royal Society of New Zealand have released a “scientific paper” at a briefing in Wellington, concerning future earthquake risks for Christchurch and New Zealand, a report said.
“Nobody can predict when an earthquake will strike, the Prime Minister’s chief science adviser says,” according to the report.
THE BIG WHITE FACT IN THE ROOM remains that FIRE-EARTH Blog has successfully forecast earthquakes including those in New Zealand Region, Japan Region and elsewhere. AND the forecasts have been posted on this blog for everyone to see.
“The Government and the Royal Society of New Zealand today released a scientific paper at a briefing in Wellington, looking at earthquake predictions and future earthquake risks for Christchurch and New Zealand.” Report said.
“During the briefing, Sir Peter Gluckman hit out at Ken Ring’s controversial prediction that another big quake will hit Christchurch on or near March 20.”
FIRE-EARTH Moderators do not know who or what “Ken Ring” is. However, here’s a short list of possibilities as to his identity and brief:
[NOTE: Prior to successful earthquake forecasts being posted on FIRE-EARTH blog, the Ken Ring character had not surfaced. What's the plan? IF Ken Ring's latest prediction for another major earthquake on March 20, 2011 to strike Christchurch, New Zealand fails to materialize, and it probably would, then he would be "eaten alive" by the NZ Prime Minister and his cabal, the Royal Society of New Zealand and the country's corporate media. Once Ken Ring has been discredited and severely dealt with, they hope New Zealanders would no longer take any earthquake hazard warning forecasts by any source seriously. Note also the confidence by which Gluckman et al make their 'NO-quake' statements, as if fully briefed on the plot!]
“Scientists could identify regions vulnerable to quakes and predict the likely magnitude of a quake but not the precise locality, depth or timing, he said.” The report added.
“Certainty as to a particular event or outcome just cannot be achieved. What therefore may happen, can only be described in terms of risks and probability.” Gluckman said.
And here’s the crunch:
“Scientifically there’s no reason not to rebuild in Christchurch,” he said.
Scientifically there’s “no reason not” to build a house of cards, or a castle in the sand … but you don’t authoritatively influence people to occupy them, or invite thousands of visitors and their uncles to come along, too, FIRE-EARTH contends.
[More than a third of the Christchurch earthquake victims, those whose name have so far been revealed, seem to be clueless foreigners who probably thought New Zealand was a safe place.]
What sort of science is that which mandates an allegedly democratic regime to condemn hundreds of thousands of people by locking them in an area where two significant earthquakes have struck within five months, killing or injuring thousands of people, destroying many homes and much of the infrastructure?
“GNS Science chief executive Alex Malahoff and Royal Society of New Zealand vice-president Keith Hunter were also on the panel.” The report said.
May they live long enough to eat their scientific paper! And that’s a prayer, not a “curse!”
Scientists who turn politicians, or those who fail to help people staying alive shouldn’t receive any money from the public purse!
Related Links:
on February 25, 2011 at 12:39 am in reply to a comment FIRE-EARTH said:
Why did YOUR govt bury earthquake warnings which were meant to alert people, especially foreign tourists/students visiting New Zealand?
See links below:* http://feww.wordpress.com/2009/07/16/global-travel-warning/
* http://feww.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/earthquake-cluster-closes-in-on-new-zealand/
* http://feww.wordpress.com/2011/01/15/new-zealand-region-earthquake-warning/
* http://feww.wordpress.com/2010/09/04/powerful-quake-strikes-christchurch-nz/#comment-10624
* http://feww.wordpress.com/2008/09/30/a-magnitude-7-earthquake-hits-kermadec-islands/
* http://feww.wordpress.com/2009/08/19/new-round-of-geo-assualt/
* http://feww.wordpress.com/2009/07/15/powerful-7-8-m-quake-strikes-new-zealand-region/
* http://feww.wordpress.com/2010/05/16/an-open-letter-to-google-management-employees/
See also the following message posted by te2ataria on July 17, 2009
http://newzeelend.wordpress.com/2009/07/17/stay-out-of-new-zealand/Truth is the bottom line, income from tourism, is more important to your government than human lives.
“and our govt are just people, citizens, like ourselves…”
REALLY? Are you a multimillionaire like your PM John Key?
Your PM is a greedy individual who has amassed a massive fortune, albeit from “immoral activities,” and who has shown no interest in the livelihood of quarter of a million NZ kids living in abject poverty.
http://newzeelend.wordpress.com/2010/07/05/in-new-zealand-poverty-is-happiness/That’s what you call democracy?
Posted in Christchurch Earthquake, Christchurch earthquake forecast, Christchurch quake | Tagged: Alex Malahoff, Internet prophet, Keith Hunter, ken ring, NZ earthquake, NZ Earthquake forecast, Royal Society of New Zealand, Sir Peter Gluckman | 3 Comments »
Posted by feww on March 18, 2011
Click Image to enlarge. Download larger image (6 MB, JPEG) – acquired March 14, 2011
Click Image to enlarge. Download larger image (6 MB, JPEG) – acquired March 1, 200
The city of Rikuzentakata (population: 24,000) in Japan’s Iwate prefecture was almost entirely obliterated after the 9.0Mw megaquake and ensuing deadly tsunami struck. The above false-color images were taken by the ASTER instrument on NASA’s Terra satellite before and after the disaster. Source: NASA-EO.
The official death toll in the Megaquake and the tsunami disasters, which is based on names registered with the authorities, stands at 5,695 perished with 9,503 people listed as missing, as of posting. Fire-Earth has previously stated that the actual death toll could reach into tens of thousands due to the severity of the twin catastrophes, a fear that has now been echoed by the Kyodo News Agency.
Up to 400,000 people are currently in temporary shelters, mostly school gymnasiums, enduring severe shortages of water food, warm clothing, heating fuel and all other basic essentials.
The disaster zone is still bombarded with aftershocks, which are expected to continue for many weeks, possibly months. About 340 significant aftershocks (Magnitude ≥5.0) have swarmed the region since the Megaquake struck exactly a week ago.
An update will be posted later.
Posted in japan earthquake, Japan Earthquakes 2011, Japan quake Death Toll | Tagged: japan earthquake, Japan quake, Japan Tsunami Damage Satellite Images, Japan tsunami Satellite Images, Rikuzentakata Tsunami Damage satellite, sendai megaquake | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on March 18, 2011
This is an UPDATE to an earlier release dated March 16, 2011
FIRE-EARTH forecasts for Disasters cover 2 levels:
An explanation of the relationship between the disasters that were to occur in 2010 and those occurring in 2011 and beyond and their Global Impact has been previously posted on the blog. See below for links:
2010 Disasters: Planetary collapse driven by man-made cataclysms
Fire-Earth Moderators believe at least one disaster could strike somewhere on the planet each day, throughout 2010. The outlook for 2011 and beyond …Go to links page for 2010 Disaster Calendar
2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010: FIRE-EARTH Forecast
Humans continued to devour energy at a rate of 17.3terrawatt in 2011, when maximum ‘safe’ limit was less than 1.9terrawatt … Go to links page for 2011 Disaster Calendar
Related Links:
Links to Disaster Calendars:
Posted in Human-induced natural disasters, Tectonics disasters, Tectonics Update, US major disaster | Tagged: 2011 disaster forecast, 2011 Disasters, 2011 earthquake forecast, earthquake warning Japan, Global Disaster Forecast, human-enhanced natural disaster | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on March 17, 2011
Radioactivity from the disaster-stricken Fukushima NPP will reach North American shores within days, a Swedish official has said.
The research director at the Swedish Defense Research Institute (SDRI), a government agency, was quoted as saying that, based on data received from a network of global monitoring stations, some radioactive particles, albeit minuscule amounts, would cross the Atlantic, and even reach Europe, as did after the Chernobyl disaster.
“It is not something you see normally,” Lars-Erik De Geer told Reuters. However, “it is not high from any danger point of view.”
“It is only a question of very, very low activities so it is nothing for people to worry about,” he said.
“In the past when they had nuclear weapons tests in China … then there were similar clouds all the time without anybody caring about it at all.”More …
US Citizen Advised to Leave from 80-km Radius of NPP
Earlier today, the state department advised all US citizens living within 80km (50 miles) of Fukushima Daiichi NPP to leave the area. Japanese government’s exclusion zone is 20km, with a 20-30km caution zone.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission released the following statement:
“All the available information continues to indicate Hawaii, Alaska, the U.S. Territories and the U.S. West Coast are not expected to experience any harmful levels of radioactivity.”
Meanwhile, the US Energy Secretary said the situation seemed to be more serious than the 1979 partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island NNP in Pennsylvania.
According to nuke scientists in France, the Three Mile Island partial meltdown was a 5 on a scale of 1 to 7, with the Chernobyl core meltdown scoring 7, and the Fukushima NPP crisis so far rating 6 in severity.
The Chinese authorities are having second thoughts about their wholesale nuclear energy plan. They are building 27 new reactors (a total of 70 are under construction globally), but have suspended approval for new plants because of the disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi NNP.
China had ambitiously planned to build at least 110 nuclear reactors during the next five years.
“We will temporarily suspend approval for nuclear power projects, including those that have already begun preliminary work, before nuclear safety regulations are approved,” said an official statement.
“Safety is our top priority in developing nuclear power plants.”
Most of China’s new NPP’s are planned near high-population areas, and “China’s State Council has assured people that the country will not be affected by the radioactive leaks.” Said a report.
However many Chinese prefer to buy salt for “radiation protection” rather than believe the government assurances about radiation safety.
People are hoarding huge quantities of salt for protection against radiation. Potassium iodide, a salt, provides protection against thyroid cancer caused by radiation.
Posted in china nuclear reactors, Three Mile Island, thyroid cancer | Tagged: Atomic Energy mafia, Fukushima Daiichi, fukushima Nuclear disaster, fukushima Nuclear leaks, FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR PLANT | 7 Comments »
Posted by feww on March 17, 2011
Click image to enlarge. Download larger image (3 MB, JPEG) – acquired March 14, 201
Click image to enlarge. Download larger image (4 MB, JPEG) acquired January 16, 2011
The magnitude 9.0 megaquake that struck northeastern Honshu, Japan on March 11, 2011, spawned a deadly tsunami which inundated vast coastal areas along the eastern seaboard of the country’s main island. Top image shows flooded croplands and settlements along the Kitakami River, which was taken by ASTER on NASA’s Terra satellite on March 14, 2011. The bottom image posted for comparison was taken two months earlier. Source: NASA-EO.
Megaquake and Tsunami, Nuclear Power Plant Crisis -UPDATE (17 March 2011, at 05:00 UTC)
The confirmed death toll from Friday’s 9.0Mw megaquake and tsunami has climbed to 5,178, police said. At least 8,606 people are still missing.
The US state department has advised the US citizens living within 80km of Fukushima Daiichi NPP to leave the area. Japanese government’s exclusion zone is 20km, with a 20-30km caution zone.
The governor of Fukushima prefecture, where the doomed nuclear plant is located, has complained that the NPP evacuees lack basic necessities, including sufficient hot food, warm clothes and water, reports say.
As of Sunday March 13, about 230,000 people had been evacuated from the vicinity of the badly damaged nuclear plants, according to a government report.
TheUS Nuclear Regulatory Commission chairman, Greg Jaczko, has told a congressional energy and commerce subcommittee hearing in Washington that problems with attempts to cool the troubled reactors are more serious than reported.
“We believe that around the reactor site there are high levels of radiation.”
“[It's] very difficult for emergency workers to get near the reactors. The doses they could experience would potentially be lethal doses in a very short period of time” he told the US lawmakers.
Meanwhile, the US Energy Secretary said the situation seemed to be more serious than the 1979 partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island NNP in Pennsylvania.
According to nuke scientists in France, the Three Mile Island partial meltdown was a 5 on a scale of 1 to 7, with the Chernobyl core meltdown scoring 7, and the Fukushima NPP crisis so far rating 6 in severity.
Posted in japan earthquake, Japan earthquake forecast, Japan Earthquakes 2011, Japan quake | Tagged: Chernobyl disaster, japan tsunami, Japan Tsunami Floods Satellite Images, Japan tsunami Satellite Images, Kitakami River, sendai quake, Three Mile Island, Tsunami Floods Kitakami River | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on March 16, 2011
This is an amendment to an earlier release dated March 12, 2011
FIRE-EARTH FORECAST:
NEXT MAJOR TECTONICS EVENT COULD OCCUR IN THE U.S.
Based on their Earth Model, FEWW Moderators believe the world’s next catastrophic tectonics event could occur in western United States with a probability of 0.74.
Amended to:
Related Links:
Posted in 2011 chile earthquakes, 2011 disaster forecast, 2011 disasters, earthquake warning Honshu, Earthquakes, FEWW Volcanic Forecast | Tagged: catastrophic tectonics event, Global Disaster Forecast, human-enhanced natural disaster, Tectonics Update, US major disaster, Western United States | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on March 16, 2011
Details of Earthquake Forecast:
Posted in Earthquakes, Earthquakes 2010, Japan earthquake forecast, Japan Earthquakes 2011, Japan Quake Forecast | Tagged: chiba earthquake forecast, tokyo earthquake forecast 2011 | 2 Comments »
Posted by feww on March 16, 2011
At about 8:30 am today large plume of white smoke was obs3rved spewing out of Reactor 3 at Fukushima NPP, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, Mr Yukio Edano has just announced at a press conference.
Various radiation levels of up to 1,000 millisivert (mSv, or 1Sv) have been detected at various parts of Fukushima NPP, he added.
[NOTE: The above radiation leak quotes at Fukushima NPP were translated to English during a live broadcast. While they may be accurate, it's also possible that translation error may have occurred.]
A large fire at Reactor 4 encasement building followed a fourth blast at the doomed nuclear power early Wednesday, which damaged the reactor.
Fukushima Dai-ichi NPP Satellite Image. DigitalGlobe handout dated March 14, 2011. Reactors 1 to 4 can be seen from bottom to top, with the smoke plume rising from Reactor 3.
Details of the explosion and ensuing fire are sketchy because large releases of radioactive radiation has prevented the fire crews from getting close to the reactor building.
The authorities have also revealed that the cooling system at Reactor 5 was in trouble and the coolant levels in that reactor was running low. However, they are using the auxiliary cooling system in Reactor 6 to cool down No 5.
The latest blast follows a third explosion at Reactor 2, and another major fire at Reactor 4 on Tuesday, when a fire has broken out at the No. 4 Reactor at Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power Plant and radiation levels are rising considerably as a result of a leak, Japanese PM Naoto Kan has just announced.
Mr Kan has advised people within the 30-km of the doomed nuclear power plant to stay indoors and await further instructions.
He has also asked anyone who has not already been evacuated from the 20-km radius of the two nuclear plants to leave the danger zone.
“I sincerely ask all citizens within the 20-km distance from the reactor to leave this zone,” he said in a televised bulletin.
The fire was reportedly caused by an explosion near a containment pool where spent fuel rods were kept.
Japanese govt then imposed a 30-km NO-FLY ZONE over the doomed Fukushima NPP.
Notes:
1. Exposure to 400 milisievert over a 1.5 to 2-hr period burns the skin and makes the victim very sick.
2. The average background radiation is about 2.2 milisievert per YEAR.
Rolling Blackouts
Meanwhile, the rolling blackouts are implemented in the Tokyo area for third consecutive day because of major power shortages. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the company that operates the doomed Fukushima Daiichi plant, says the outages will last for at least three hours in the area.
1. Earth is a seismic planet and earthquakes regularly strike various regions.
2. The Pacific Ring of fire is particularly prone to earthquakes, some of them large earthquakes [Megaquakes.]
3. Larger quakes can and do rip through ALL structures.
4. Offshore megaquakes are invariably followed by large tsunamis.
5. Large tsunamis invariable inundate vast areas, starting with coastal areas.
6. Nuclear power plants use electrical devices to operate vital cooling systems.
7. When inundated, electrical systems invariably fail.
All of the above, of course, is academic.
Other News:
Other Links:
Posted in Fukushima Dai-ichi NPP Satellite Image, Fukushima Satellite Image | Tagged: fukushima NPP, Fukushima plant, international atomic energy mafia, meltdown, radiation leak, Yukio Edano | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on March 15, 2011
German government has announced that it will shut down all seven of its nuclear power plants that were commissioned before 1980 for at least three months, a report said.
The 3rd explosion at Fukushima NPP. Freeze frame from an NTV news clip. Image may be subject to copyright.
It’s unclear whether they will ever operate again in view of Japan’s nuclear crisis.
Chancellor Merkel has announced a nuclear policy moratorium, prompted by Japan’s unfolding nuclear disaster, under which only the 10 newer nuclear stations will continue generating electricity, the report said.
“Power plants that went into operation before the end of 1980 will … be shut down for the period of the moratorium,” Merkel told a news conference. More …
As Japan’s government declares that the radiation has reached ‘harmful levels,’ the question arises:
Related Links:
Posted in international atomic energy mafia, Japan Earthquakes 2011, nuclear power mafia | Tagged: fukushima meltdown, FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR PLANT, Germany nuclear power, Japan Megaquake, Japan nuclear crisis, Radiation Leak at Fukushima | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on March 15, 2011
The massive rain storm stretched from New York to Florida last week, dumping record rainfall. NASA’s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite measured that rainfall from space, shown in the above “rain map” produced by NASA.
Download larger image (9 MB, JPEG) – acquired March 12, 2011. Click images to enlarge.
Download larger image (12 MB, JPEG) – acquired February 12, 2011
NWS reported major flooding in Grand Chain, Illinois, and moderate flooding in Cairo, Illinois, and Paducah, Kentucky earlier, in March. MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired the top image on March 12, 2011, and the bottom image on February 12, 2011. Snow cover is blue-green. Note the absence of snow from the top image. Source: NASA-EO.
Posted in environment, flooding in Grand Chain, Mississippi river flooding | Tagged: Climate Extremes, Severe US Rain Storm, Severe weather US, TRMM Rainmap Severe US Rain Storm | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on March 15, 2011
A fire has broken out at the No. 4 Reactor at Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power Plant and radiation levels are rising considerably as a result of a leak, Japanese PM Naoto Kan has just announced.
Mr Kan has advised people within the 30-km of the doomed nuclear power plant to stay indoors and await further instructions.
He has also asked anyone who has not already been evacuated from the 20-km radius of the two nuclear plants to leave the danger zone.
“I sincerely ask all citizens within the 20-km distance from the reactor to leave this zone,” he said in a televised bulletin.
The fire was reportedly caused by an explosion near a containment pool where spent fuel rods were kept.
Japanese govt has imposed a 30-km NO-FLY ZONE over the doomed Fukushima NPP.
Note: Exposure to 400 milisievert over a 1.5 to 2-hr period burns the skin and makes the victim very sick.
In Tokyo up 20 times the amount of background radiation was detected, though the elevated amount is not believed to cause any harm to humans.
Above background radiation have also been detected in all surrounding and nearby prefectures.
The latest explosion occurred at reactor 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, as engineers were trying to pump sea water into the three partially destroyed reactors.
The radiation reading at 8:31am (JST) had climbed to 8,217 microsievert per hour from a previous level of 1,941 microsievert half an hour earlier earlier, TEPCO the plant operators said. The background radiation to which people are exposed to is about 1,000 to 2,400 microsievert per year.
The No.3 nuclear reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant at Minamisoma continues to burn after an explosion that occurred at 11:01 on Monday March 14, following the Sendai Megaquake and tsunami. Handout satellite image taken by Digital Globe/via Reuters.
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear plants are located about 240km (150 miles) north-east of Japan capital city, Tokyo.
Meanwhile, the U.S. 7th Fleet, operating about 160km (100miles) northeast of the nuclear plants, moved away its ships and aircraft carriers after detecting radioactive contamination on aircraft operating in the area.
Low levels of radiation were found on 17 air crew members, operating in three helicopters, when they returned to the USS Ronald Reagan, reports say.
The nuclear began after a 9.0Mw Megaquake followed by a deadly tsunami struck the eastern coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu Friday.
Up to 200,000 people have so far been evacuated from a 20-km radii of both Fukushima Plants Nos. 1 and 2. The quake and tsunami has left about 550,000 people homeless, as millions of people endure their fourth day without water, food, gas, fuel, electricity and adequate clothing in freezing temperatures.
Petrol has been rationed throughout the country. Our colleagues in different Japan were only allowed to buy only 10 liters of gasoline this morning.
The mounting death toll stands at 2,000 to more than 10,000 depending on the source of different reports.
The Sendai Megaquake is now officially the world’s 4th strongest quake since 1900, and Japan’s largest recorded shock since records began 140 years ago.
Explosions Timline:
Japan has 55 nuclear reactors, 14 of which are in the quake and tsunami-hit areas.
Japanese govt has reportedly distributed about a quarter of a million units of stable iodine to evacuation centers near the damaged nuclear plants, as a precautionary measure. Iodine can help protect against thyroid cancer if a person is is exposed to low-levels of radiation.
Posted in chernobyl victims, fukushima radiation leak, Japan quake Death Toll | Tagged: fukushima meltdown, FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR PLANT, FUKUSHIMA Plant explosion, Japan radiation leak, meltdown, microsievert, Tepco | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on March 15, 2011
Click here to download larger image (3 MB, JPEG) – acquired March 14, 2011
Click here to download larger image (4 MB, JPEG) – acquired August 8, 2008
City of Ishinomaki was one of the worst hit areas when the deadly tsunami struck on March 11, 2011. The two false color images above were taken by ASTER on NASA’s Terra satellite, the top image on March 14, the lower image on August 8, 2008 (included for comparison). Source: NASA-EO. Click images to enlarge.
Annotated Image. Click to enlarge.
Original Caption: The extent of inundation from the destructive and deadly tsunami triggered by the March 11, 2011, magnitude [9.0] earthquake centered off Japan’s northeastern coast about 130 kilometers (82 miles) east of the city of Sendai is revealed in this image pair from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument on NASA’s Terra spacecraft. The new image, shown on the right, was acquired at 10:30 a.m. local time (01:30 UTC) on March 12, 2011 during Terra orbit 59731. For comparison, a MISR image from March 16, 2001, acquired under nearly identical illumination conditions during Terra orbit 6607, is shown on the left.
From top to bottom, each image extends from just north of the Abukuma River (which is about 21 kilometers, or 13 miles, south of Sendai) to south of the town of Minamisoma (population 71,000, located in Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture about 70 kilometers, or 44 miles, south of Sendai), and covers an area of 78 kilometers (48 miles) by 104 kilometers (65 miles). Flooding extending more than 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) inland from the eastern shoreline is visible in the post-earthquake image. The white sand beaches visible in the pre-earthquake view are now covered by water and can no longer be seen. Among the locations where severe flooding is visible is the area around Matsukawa-ura Bay, located just north and east of the image center.
These unique images enhance the presence of water in two ways. First, their near-infrared observations cause vegetated areas to appear red, which contrasts strongly with water. Second, by combining nadir (vertical-viewing) imagery with observations acquired at a view angle of 26 degrees, reflected sunglint enhances the brightness of water, which is shown in shades of blue. This use of observations at different view angles causes a stereoscopic effect, where elevated clouds have a yellow tinge at their top edges and blue tinge at their bottom edges.
Other NASA images of the Megaquake and Tsunami-hit Honshu Coast
Posted in environment, japan earthquake, Japan Earthquakes 2011, Japan tsunami, sendai tsunami | Tagged: Ishinomaki, japan tsunami, Japan tsunami Satellite Images, JAPAN TSUNAMI UPDATE, Tsunami Damage at Ishinomaki Satellite Images | 3 Comments »
Posted by feww on March 14, 2011
March 14, 2011 at 00:48 UTC
This Page would be updated throughout today, as new information becomes available.
Japan’s Nuclear Crisis:
The cooling system has failed at a third nuclear facility in Japan, following the M9.0 Mega Quake near Sendai.
The Tokai Nuclear Plant in Ibaraki prefecture is causing great concern. Two of its three diesel generators used to operate the cooling system have failed. The plant is located about 120km north of Tokyo.
Tokai 1 and 2 Nuclear Power Plants. Click image to enlarge and view licensing details.
Built in 1962, 1 was Japan’s first nuclear power plant. Having generated electricity for about 32 years it was decommission in 1998. Tokai 2 was built in 1973 and commissioned in 1978, Japan’s largest at the time with a generating capacity of 1,060 MW.
Meanwhile, a state of emergency has been declared at the Onagawa plant, where radiation readings have exceeded allowed limits, said Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.
Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant is located in Ishinomaki city, Miyagi Prefecture, and is operated by the Tohoku Electric Power Company. Click image to enlarge and view licensing details.
The latest declaration is the third to be issued by the agency, with the first two still in force at Fukushima plant Nos 1 and 2.
People throughout Japan have been asked tio save electricity. About 1.8 million customers are currently without power.
In Tokyo area there’s a sever shortage of electricity, with only 75 percent of the demand currently being met. [Demand: 41 gigawatt; supply: 31 gigawatt]
Second Round of Tsunami Warnings
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a new round of Tsunami Warnings for Japan Region at 03:20 JST, Saturday March 12. A Major Tsunami Warning covered the entire eastern seaboards of Honshu and Hokkaido islands.
See below for tsunami map and list of the prefectures under TSUNAMI WARNING.
Source: JMA. Click image to enlarge.
Maximum Tsunami Observation
The following Tsunami Observation Map (NUMBER 64) was issued at 18:05 JST 13 Mar 2011.
The surviving victims are well and truly trapped. There are severe shortages of water, food and fuel, as well as clothes, sanitation and other basic amenities. Large areas have had no electricity sine the Megaquake struck about 70 hours ago. Many people are attempting to leave the disaster zones; however, there are no plains, trains or any other form of transport. Automobiles are not going anywhere, anytime soon. There are long lines of vehicles outside gas stations waiting to be filled, some reportedly as long as 10-mile. Many people are sleeping in their car in order not to miss their turn.
Many roads have been destroyed or severely damaged in Miyagi prefecture, as far as in the Tokyo area, in northern Japan, and in the far-northern Iwate prefecture. The toll road highways are restricted to emergency vehicles only, according to reports.
As expected, the aftershock, some of them powerful quakes in their own right, continue to rattle the eastern seaboard of Japan’s main island of Honshu.
10-degree Map Centered at 40°N,140°E
Earthquake Location Map. Source: USGS. Click image to enlarge.
March 14 UTC
March 13 UTC
March 12 UTC
March 11 UTC
Source: USGS. Click images to enlarge.
More than 2,000 bodies have been found this morning on the shores of Miyagi prefecture, the area worst affected by the tsunami, Kyodo news agency has just reported. The latest gruesome discovery brings the total death toll so far to about 4,000. At least 10,000 others are believed to be missing.
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