Crazy tsunami damage from quake in japan

[Halon]

They said that the core (vessel) is still in tact. So far it seems like the core is doing what it's supposed to and still containing what is inside of it. Hopefully they can keep it that way. I'm curious as to where the spent fuel is stored in this plants design.

[A//// Guy]

They are not in meltdown yet. They are still trying to cool the core down using seawater. Well see what happens, hopefully they can prevent total meltdown, from what they say its pretty unlikely this will happen but who knows the truth.

Reactor info: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110313/ap_on_bi_ge/as_japan_earthquake_nuclear_crisis

Also just looking at the pictures of the damage. Im totally in shock as to the damage. I knew it was going to be bad but holy crap. I really feel like I could do something to, all I can do is donate though. :( Feel so helpless.

[Kevin 1G Drummer]

Another crazy video. I was waiting for fire and demons to start coming up!

http://www.dump.com/2011/03/12/crazy-video-of-the-ground-shifting-during-the-japanese-quake-video/

[DoughtCom]

Prayers to all those affected by the quake. But...

If those reactors blow, I'm ready to kill some zombies.

http://www.submiturpics.com/images/6wcsac3ac6l1l04snvk8.jpg

This pic was reported as a hoax btw everyone, 750 rads would kill someone fairly quickly.

http://bhalomanush.posterous.com/my-take-on-the-japanese-nuclear-fallout-map-h

[Gravy]

Melt down isn't likely to happen, it is possible but they build in fail safes for stuff like this. But a 9.8 is REALLY hard to simulate in full scale. The fact that they made it this far is a sign of our species ability to design and build something.

As long as they can keep the core cool, and most of the time the extra fuel rods are stored in containers like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_JhruRobRI
For reasons such as this earthquake. They are used for transportation and from what I read a few years back they are often moved into similar housings on the facility and or the actual transport containers. When was the last time you saw something mess up the front of a train?

If they do melt down our impact in the states here will probably be the same as going tanning in a tanning both once more per year. But it's something to be said about the amount of radioactivity that will be in that country for years, decades or even a century or two to come if they have one or more melt downs. Say goodbye to nuclear power ever being built in the US now as well because of this scare.

[rose0529]

interesting pictures from CNN, before and after shots.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/12/japan.before.after/index.html?hpt=C2

[Matt D.]

Melt down isn't likely to happen, it is possible but they build in fail safes for stuff like this. But a 9.8 is REALLY hard to simulate in full scale. The fact that they made it this far is a sign of our species ability to design and build something.

As long as they can keep the core cool, and most of the time the extra fuel rods are stored in containers like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_JhruRobRI
For reasons such as this earthquake. They are used for transportation and from what I read a few years back they are often moved into similar housings on the facility and or the actual transport containers. When was the last time you saw something mess up the front of a train?

If they do melt down our impact in the states here will probably be the same as going tanning in a tanning both once more per year. But it's something to be said about the amount of radioactivity that will be in that country for years, decades or even a century or two to come if they have one or more melt downs. Say goodbye to nuclear power ever being built in the US now as well because of this scare.
They can not keep the cores cool, the cooling systems failed hence the explosions that have already occurred.

Japan battles nuclear meltdown - http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e6600348-4dbb-11e0-85e4-00144feab49a.html#axzz1Ga21xFZU
Nuclear fuel rods fully exposed at Japan reactor - http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/14/japan-quake-rods-idUSTKB00733720110314
Japan Nuclear Plant Troubles Deepen - http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704893604576199884191526312.html?m od=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories

From the last article...
The explosion took place Monday morning at the No. 3 reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex, the same place where a failure to cool overheated fuel rods at the No. 1 reactor resulted in a similar blast on Saturday. That explosion also damaged a pump used to bring in sea water for added cooling, the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said at a briefing Monday evening. The agency said the fuel rods at the No. 3 reactor are now fused together.

They are in very, very deep trouble.

[Halon]

http://www.nei.org/newsandevents/information-on-the-japanese-earthquake-and-reactors-in-that-region/

Another site with some factual information.

[Febo]

according to brandon's post the control rods are in place and the cores are encased in containment vessels that are 40-80 inches thick... Crazy.

[A//// Guy]

Yep, stainless steel and concrete I believe. The media likes to make it look like its going to blow up and spew radiation all over the world.

Experts are saying the only radiation that is likely to keep happening is from the venting they have to do to keep cooling it.

This puts the radiation into perspective too:

The NRC’s public radiation dose limit is 100 mrems annually. The average U.S. public exposure from the commercial nuclear fuel cycle, including nuclear power plant operations, is less than 1 mrem per year.

The average American receives more than 600 millirems of radiation exposure annually—about half from naturally-occurring sources and the rest from medical applications, such as CT scans and X-rays.