Massive Quake Hits NE Japan

[Docfeelgood]

I read a report that the Jap Gov is downplaying the second nuke explosion but the US navy has pulled out.
Who is being truthful?

[Docfeelgood]

Tests detect radioactivity on 17 U.S. Navy crew members in Japan

HERE

(CNN) -- Tests detected low levels of radioactivity on 17 U.S. Navy helicopter crew members when they returned to the USS Ronald Reagan after conducting disaster relief missions in Japan, the military said Monday.

No further contamination was detected after the crew members washed with soap and water, the Navy said.

In addition, the Navy said the U.S. 7th Fleet has temporarily repositioned its ships and planes away from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after detecting low-level contamination in the air and on its planes in the area, the Navy said.

One ship was operating about 100 miles northeast of the power plant when "airborne radioactivity" was detected, the Navy said.
Thousands still unaccounted for in Japan
Japan's nuclear worries


The Navy's statement, however, provided some perspective, noting that the maximum potential radiation dose received by personnel when the ship passed through the area was "less than the radiation exposure received from about one month of exposure to natural background radiation from sources such as rocks, soil, and the sun."

On Sunday, the USS Ronald Reagan started delivering aid in the coastal regions of Japan's Miyagi prefecture.

Crew members, in conjunction with the Japan Maritime Self Defense Forces, conducted 20 sorties delivering aid pallets.

Eight U.S. and Japanese helicopters were used to distribute the pallets, according to Sgt. Maj. Stephen Valley of U.S. Forces Japan.

Workers are scrambling to cool down fuel rods and prevent a full meltdown in three reactors at the earthquake-hit plant. Radioactive steam has been released, intentionally to lessen growing pressure in the reactors.

[Docfeelgood]

BBC ::

Engineers race to cool down a third reactor at a quake-stricken Japanese nuclear plant, after a second blast rocks the facility.

[Docfeelgood]

The news does not seem to be getting better.

[Docfeelgood]

The Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) is playing down any health risk,

Oh man, good to see the publics welfare is the main concern for the TEPCO.

[germanos]

Yes, it's a sign there's a serious problem. However safety measures are so stringent (?) that even small elevated levels will lead to the fleet moving away, which is easy to do. They need to do so, if only the elevated levels will probably lead to contingency procedures now being implemented on the nuclear carrier: they have to take into account it's their own core leaking (theoratically speaking in this case).

[Docfeelgood]

Yes, it's a sign there's a serious problem. However safety measures are so stringent (?) that even small elevated levels will lead to the fleet moving away, which is easy to do. They need to do so, if only the elevated levels will probably lead to contingency procedures now being implemented on the nuclear carrier: they have to take into account it's their own core leaking (theoratically speaking in this case).

Shame, those ships would come in handy helping those people.

[Docfeelgood]

I'm only guessing, but the one on the left was the first. The one smoking look like more damage.
That very white, steam, looking cloud does not look good.

[Docfeelgood]

HYDROGEN, dumbass. HYDROGEN. The explosion was virtually identical to the first. It is very simple. Heat splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. Heat goes away, hydrogen and oxygen recombine---BOOM! Mini hindenburg. Now shut up.

Damn boy! go watch more Star Trek and learn some more.

[Hauldren Collider]

Doc is now on my ignore list. Life is good again.

[Docfeelgood]

Doc is now on my ignore list. Life is good again.

Thank you. You must be a child.

[germanos]

Shame, those ships would come in handy helping those people.

Yes, but they still can. They will have to fly further though.

I'm only guessing, but the one on the left was the first. The one smoking look like more damage.
That very white, steam, looking cloud does not look good.

Yep.
I would say the second blast (reactor #3) was much worse. The 1st (left) blowout looks like it was somehow 'anticipated'/designed. The steel superstructure is still virtually intact. The third reactor superstructure looks like a complete mess. From the video's I saw it appeared the second blast was much worse: clearly a fireball could be seen and the dustcloud went straight up while in the first blast (reactor #1) the blast looked to be deflected sideways.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

This is a bad thing?

Yes. Things that explode typically are bad as they potentially have bad effects on systems meant for safe shutdown or could pose damage to nonsafety systems that still pose a risk to the public for radiation exposure (spent fuel pool comes to mind).

In the US, after TMI, NRC made US stations evaluate and implement hydrogen recombination equipment so that recombiners would/could deal with hydrogen generation and react it with oxygen to form water prior to it achieving explosive limits (4% typically). During the TMI incident it was found that TMI likely had a pressure transient caused from a small hydrogen detonation, thus the lesson learned for the industry.

I don't know if the issue at hand is whether Daiishi units were not equipped with this technology, or the systems were inoperable due to station black out.

[Docfeelgood]

I am having a hard time accepting how much of a disaster this is turning out to be.

[Docfeelgood]

Yes, but they still can. They will have to fly further though.

I was thinking if they were close to shore they could provide emergency power and clean water.