Threat of Nuclear Leak at Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant

BREAKING NEWS:

Radioactive Leak Threatens Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant

The authorities have evacuated everyone living within a 3-km radius of the Fukushima Nuclear power plant because the battery used for one of the reactor’s emergency cooling system is running out, NHK has said.

Other residents living within the 3 to 10 km radius of the plant have been advised to stay indoors  and remain calm, while they await further instruction.

A nuclear leak is likely to occur, if the main cooling system fails to restart before the battery runs out.

Th e reactor was shut down after the magnitude 8.9 Mega Quake struck offshore east of the city Sendai, Japan earlier today.

Fukushima nuclear power plant, located in the town of Okuma in the Futaba District of Fukushima Prefecture, is one of the largest nuclear plants in the world, with 8 separate reactor units.

Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. Creative Commons. Image by KEI.

Sendai Mega Quake Update:

The estimated death toll in Japan’s Miyagi prefecture (state) from the mega quake and tsunami has reached at least 300. Authorities say about 300 people have drowned, NHK reported.

Related Links

• JAPAN MEGA QUAKE UPDATE #2
• JAPAN M8.9 MEGA QUAKE UPDATE
• MEGA QUAKE STRIKES NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU

• Tectonics Update – March 10
• Japan 7.2 Quake Strikes Off the Coast of Honshu
• Honshu Earthquake Warning

JAPAN MEGA QUAKE UPDATE #2

M8.9 Mega Quake Strikes Offshore 130km East of Sendai City, Japan

The Sendai Megaquake with 1.41 exajoule of energy (about 340 megaton, or 24,000 times the size of Hiroshima A-bomb) has caused much destruction in Japan

[NOTE: Humans are currently consuming the equivalent of energy released by Sendai Mega Quake each day. ]

Summary of Events:

• Large earthquake measuring 8.9Mw struck near the east coast of HONSHU, JAPAN on Friday, March 11, 2011 at 05:46:23 UTC
• The epicenter was located at 38.322°N, 142.369°E, about 130 km (80 miles) E of Sendai, Honshu, Japan.
• At least 37 significant aftershocks have struck the area, including 2 measuring 7.1 and 6.8 respectively, as of 11:16UTC on Friday March 11, 2011.
• Another 12 aftershocks measure ≥6.0.
• The aftershocks will continue to strike the area for many weeks, possibly months, to come.
• The quake was the largest ever to hit Japan region.
• The Mega quake will prove to be an “earth-shattering” event.
• FIRE-EARTH believes at least one more shock, probably larger than this event, could strike Japan Region. [See also earlier earthquake forecasts for Japan Region in the blog.]
• A previous FIRE-EARTH forecast for earthquakes in Japan region is posted at Tectonics Update – March 10.

EQ Location Map. Source: USGS. Map enhanced by FIRE-EARTH

THE SENDAI TSUNAMI

• The Mega Quake generated a massive tsunami which struck the coastal areas of Japan and is now traveling throughout the Pacific Ocean.

As of posting:

• A tsunami warning has been issued for the entire Pacific basin (mainland United States and Canada not included),  the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

• “The Tsunami Warning continues in effect for the coastal areas of California and Oregon from Point Concepcion, California to the Oregon-Washington border.” WCA Tsunami Warning Center said.
• “The Tsunami Warning continues in effect for the coastal areas of Alaska from Amchitka Pass, Alaska (125 miles W of Adak) to Attu, Alaska.” WCA Tsunami Warning Center said.
• The list of countries include: Taiwan, Russia, the Philippines,  Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Fiji, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica,  Panama, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
• The tsunami could destroy entire low-lying islands in the Pacific region.
• The Russian authorities have evacuated 11,000 people from coastal areas of Russia’s Kuril Islands, a report said.
• “Waves up to three meters high triggered by the earthquake hit Shikotan, one of the Kuril Islands, following the quake. Other islands in the Kuril chain have also been hit by smaller waves of up to two meters.”

Click image to enlarge. Source: PTWC

• At least 20 countries are under tsunami warning.

• A 10-m wall of water struck the east coast of Honshu and traveled across the land, destroying everything in its path.
• The quake and thee tsunami have claimed an unknown number of lives in Japan, possibly very many. Many others have been injured. [Early reports put the number of dead at 69 and the injured at several hundred, but the toll should be expected to rise. Many are reported as missing.]
• The cost of damage from the quakes and tsunami could conceivably reach a trillion dollars.
• An oil refinery in Shiogama city, Fukushima prefecture exploded.
• Large fires were reported at a major refinery in Japan’s Chiba prefecture.

An oil refinery caught fire in Ichihara city, Chiba pref. Three major explosions occurred after a pipeline was ruptured by moving debris brought in by the tsunami. Photo: NHK. Image may be subject to copyright.

Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant

• The authorities have declared emergencies at two of Japan’s nuclear power plants over cooling-system fears.

• The nuclear power plant in Fukushima developed a mechanical failure in its emergency cooling system after the reactor was shut down following the earthquake, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano was reported as saying.
• At the Tohoku Electric Power Co’s Onagawa facility the cooling mechanism for the reactor is “not going as planned,” causing a “nuclear emergency situation” to be declared, the Administrator said. The company has asked people living nearby to stay indoors and remain calm, local TV station was reported as saying.

Initial Tsunami Observation. Source: JMA

Maximum Tsunami Observation. Source: JMA

Related NEWS LINKS:

• Tsunami hits Japan after 8.9 earthquake
• Tsunami hits north-eastern Japan after massive quake

Related Links:

• JAPAN M8.9 MEGA QUAKE UPDATE
• MEGA QUAKE STRIKES NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU

• Tectonics Update – March 10
• Japan 7.2 Quake Strikes Off the Coast of Honshu
• Honshu Earthquake Warning

JAPAN M8.9 MEGA QUAKE UPDATE

A 10-m wall of tsunami traveling across Japan is sweeping everything in its path

MEGA QUAKE 8.9Mw STRIKES OFF NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

MEGA QUAKE and TSUNAMI HAVE CAUSED TREMENDOUS DAMAGE in JAPAN’S COASTAL AREAS

• Large number of people in Myiagi prefecture are reported as missing.
  

6 MAJOR AFTERSHOCKS REPORTED BY USGS/EHP

TSUNAMI UPDATE

The Pacific Tsunami Center Warning Center has extended the tsunami warning to the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, the Pacific coast of Russia and Hawaii,  Australia, New Zealand, and the entire coast of Central and South America.

• Click to see table
  

Tsunami Warning/Advisory for Japan Region

Issued at 16:08 JST 11 Mar 2011

******************Headline******************
Major Tsunami and Tsunami have been issued.
JAPAN SEA COAST OF AOMORI PREF.
UCHIBO AREA, CHIBA PREF.
OGASAWARA ISLANDS
SAGAMI BAY AND MIURA PENINSULA
SHIZUOKA PREF.
WAKAYAMA PREF.
TOKUSHIMA PREF.
SETONAIKAI COAST OF OITA PREF.
WESTERN PART OF KAGOSHIMA PREF.
Tsunami attentions are in effect at some of the other coasts now.

Tsunami Advisory
<Tsunami Advisory>
AKITA PREF.
*YAMAGATA PREF.
NIIGATA PREF.,EXCEPT SADOGASHIMA ISLAND
SADOGASHIMA ISLAND
TOYAMA PREF.
NOTO AREA, ISHIKAWA PREF.
HIROSHIMA PREF.
SETONAIKAI COAST OF YAMAGUCHI PREF.

Changed;
Tsunami Advisory –> Tsunami Warning

SETONAIKAI COAST OF OITA PREF.
WESTERN PART OF KAGOSHIMA PREF.
Evacuate from the seashore immediately to the safe places near the above coasts.

Tsunami Warning –> Tsunami Warning

JAPAN SEA COAST OF AOMORI PREF.
UCHIBO AREA, CHIBA PREF.
OGASAWARA ISLANDS
SAGAMI BAY AND MIURA PENINSULA
SHIZUOKA PREF.
WAKAYAMA PREF.
TOKUSHIMA PREF.

At the following coasts (* marks) tsunamis are
expected to arrive right away.
YAMAGATA PREF.

*******Tsunami forecast now in effect********
<Major Tsunami>
IWATE PREF.
MIYAGI PREF.
FUKUSHIMA PREF.
CENTRAL PART OF PACIFIC COAST OF HOKKAIDO
PACIFIC COAST OF AOMORI PREF.
IBARAKI PREF.
KUJUKURI AND SOTOBO AREA, CHIBA PREF.
IZU ISLANDS
EASTERN PART OF PACIFIC COAST OF HOKKAIDO
WESTERN PART OF PACIFIC COAST OF HOKKAIDO
JAPAN SEA COAST OF AOMORI PREF.
UCHIBO AREA, CHIBA PREF.
OGASAWARA ISLANDS

Related NEWS LINKS:

• Tsunami hits Japan after 8.9 earthquake
• Tsunami hits north-eastern Japan after massive quake

Related Links:

• MEGA QUAKE STRIKES NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU

• Tectonics Update – March 10
• Japan 7.2 Quake Strikes Off the Coast of Honshu
• Honshu Earthquake Warning

MEGA QUAKE STRIKES NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU

M8.9 QUAKE STRIKES OFFSHORE JAPAN

BASED ON THE EARTHQUAKE REPORTS, A DESTRUCTIVE TSUNAMI SHOULD BE EXPECTED

This quake may be a foreshock, with a larger event yet to follow: FIRE-EARTH

LATEST REPORT FROM EMSC

Click image to enlarge.

GFZ Potsdam – Earthquake Bulletin
Region: Near East Coast of Honshu, Japan
Time: 2011-03-11 05:46:22.5 UTC
Magnitude: 8.5
Epicenter: 142.49°E 38.32°N
Depth: 5 km
Status: C – confirmed

The Japan Meteorological Agency’s website is currently down and the blog was unable to get a confirmation.

USGS has apparently recorded the event as a magnitude 8.8Mw with a 7.9Mw aftershock.

JMA has just issued the following report:

Earthquake Information (Information about Seismic Intensity at each site)

Issued at 14:53 JST 11 Mar 2011

Occurred at (JST)	Latitude (degree)	Longitude (degree)	Depth	Magnitude	Region Name
14:46 JST 11 Mar 2011	38.0N	142.9E	10km	7.9	Sanriku Oki

Earthquake location map. Epicenter is marked by a red cross. Bubbles indicate severity of the tremor as felt by local monitoring stations throughout Japan. Source: JMA.

TSUNAMI WARNINGS

EIGHT of Japan’s Prefectures are currently under a MAJOR Tsunami/Tsunami warning:

JMA has issued the following:

Tsunami Warning/Advisory

Issued at 14:49 JST 11 Mar 2011

Major Tsunami and Tsunami have been issued.
PACIFIC COAST OF TOHOKU
CENTRAL PART OF PACIFIC COAST OF HOKKAIDO
IBARAKI PREF.
KUJUKURI AND SOTOBO AREA, CHIBA PREF.
IZU ISLANDS
Evacuate from the seashore immediately to the safe places near the above coasts.
Tsunami attentions are in effect at some of the other coasts now.

Tsunami Warning
<Major Tsunami>
*IWATE PREF.
MIYAGI PREF.
FUKUSHIMA PREF.
<Tsunami>
CENTRAL PART OF PACIFIC COAST OF HOKKAIDO
PACIFIC COAST OF AOMORI PREF.
IBARAKI PREF.
KUJUKURI AND SOTOBO AREA, CHIBA PREF.
IZU ISLANDS
Evacuate from the seashore immediately to the safe places near the above coasts.

Tsunami Advisory

EASTERN PART OF PACIFIC COAST OF HOKKAIDO
WESTERN PART OF PACIFIC COAST OF HOKKAIDO
JAPAN SEA COAST OF AOMORI PREF.
UCHIBO AREA, CHIBA PREF.
OGASAWARA ISLANDS
SAGAMI BAY AND MIURA PENINSULA
SHIZUOKA PREF.
PACIFIC COAST OF AICHI PREF.
SOUTHERN PART OF MIE PREF.
WAKAYAMA PREF.
TOKUSHIMA PREF.
KOCHI PREF.
MIYAZAKI PREF.
TANEGASHIMA AND YAKUSHIMA AREA
AMAMI ISLANDS AND TOKARA ISLANDS

At the following coasts (* marks) tsunamis are expected to arrive right away.
IWATE PREF

For more information go to:

• Tsunami Information (High Tide Time and Estimated Tsunami Arrival)

Related Links:

• Tectonics Update – March 10
• Japan 7.2 Quake Strikes Off the Coast of Honshu
• Honshu Earthquake Warning

12 Earthquakes Rattle Entire New Zealand

A Dozen Quakes Strike All Around New Zealand Today

The following image shows the approximate locations of today’s first 12 earthquakes which have struck around New Zealand’s twin islands, as of posting.

Source: GeoNet New Zealand. Image may be subject to copyright.

Largest of the  quakes was a magnitude 4.5 shock which struck about 140km west of Tuatapere at a depth of 12km today [Friday, Mar 11, 2011 at 2:50 pm local time,] according to GeoNet website.

Related Links

• Tectonics Update – March 10
• New Zealand Earthquake Warnings – 7 March 2011
• Earthquakes

Bountiful Bees Committed to Extinction

Bees Baffled by Human Insanity

Mass death of bee colonies worldwide threaten biodiversity and food security: UNEP

Speaking of fouling your own doorstep. Human activity is committing nature’s insect pollinators to extinction.

A clear pattern of species extinction is forming: Plants, bees, birds, fish … How much longer do you think humans can clutch on to the disappearing straws?

Bee pollinating a flower. Photo credit: PD Photo. Click image to enlarge.

NO BEES, NO FOOD SECURITY

Bee colonies worldwide are under threat, with serious implications for biodiversity and food security, UNEP says.

Global Honey Bee Colony Disorders and Other Threats to Insect Pollinators, a new study published by UNEP, finds that multiple factors are responsible for declines in bee populations, including

• Habitat deterioration (destruction)
• Air pollution
• Crop spraying (pesticides)
• Widespread use of insecticides
• Climate Change
• Parasites
• Invasive species

Tens of thousands of plant species may disappear unless conservation measures are employed, the report says.

The decline of bee populations has serious consequences for food security. Pollination is critical for flower and seed production and vital to the health of ecosystems. As many crops depend solely on pollinators for survival, the well-being of pollinating insects such as bees is critical for ensuring the availability of food for a growing global population.