Japan hit by 9.0 earthquake.

[Jadzia]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

I've been trying to find a map of how far the tsunami has ingressed the Japanese coastline, but I cannot find one.

The best I can do is to look at the flood prediction maps for sea level rises, which look at the lay of the land. A tsunami is a bit like a temporary rise in sea level. I'm not sure if a short lived but fierce 10m surge would penetrate further or lesser than a gradual but permanent 10m rise.

http://flood.firetree.net/?ll=38.2069,140.9532&z=7


.

 

[bigdaddy]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

Water dropped 2m in San Francisco harbour and ships and part of a peer were damaged.

Water has flooded several hotel lobbies in Hawaii.

20cm wave hit NZ a few hours ago. Nothing serious.

EDIT: Make that 40cm, with predictions it'll reach 1m soon.

Yeah the first waves that hit the USA everyone was like "It's tiny again" and then the force keeps coming and has caused minor damage.

MSNBC just texted me that the radiation levels outside of the nuclear power plant have gone through the roof and the evacuation area has been expanded.

 

[Jadzia]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

radiation levels outside of the nuclear power plant have gone through the roof

That's either venting radioactive steam, or the reaction rate is increasing. The latter would suggest a meltdown, so let's hope it's only the steam.

 

[FPAlpha]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

Crap.. i just read that they are considering venting steam (or have already done so) to lessen the pressure in the reactor which is rising dangerously.

The reactor could go critical and cause a meltdown.. i just hope it doesn't come to that.

 

[bigdaddy]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

radiation levels outside of the nuclear power plant have gone through the roof

That's either venting radioactive steam, or the reaction rate is increasing. The latter would suggest a meltdown, so let's hope it's only the steam.

They released steamed and said it was only slightly (1.5 times) the normal. So let's hope it's like the West Wing episode where the steam is just more radioactive than they thought. Still bad but better than the power plant going into melt down.

 

[Samurai8472]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

Wave coming in to Berkley California

From Reuters

 

[Jadzia]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

They released steamed and said it was only slightly (1.5 times) the normal. So let's hope it's like the West Wing episode where the steam is just more radioactive than they thought. Still bad but better than the power plant going into melt down.

Apparently, the six reactors at Fukushima are 1960s designs: First-generation boiling water reactors (the same as at Three Mile Island) which have the least margin of safety of any reactor design.

ie, a single cooling loop and no containment dome, but uses a smaller containment vessel around the reactor core.

 

[Samurai8472]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Ja...es+earth+axis+moves+inches/4425617/story.html


Japan earthquake factbox: Entire Japan coast shifted 2.4 metres, earth axis moves ten inches

USGS Dr. Dave Applegate says the Japan earthquake ruptured a 180 mile long by 50 mile wide section of the Earth's crust.

Scientists from the United States Geological Service answered questions from the public this afternoon, with some startling revelations made.

* The first tsunami wave in Samoa was reportedly one foot tall, but the seventh wave was much larger, indicating coastal areas shoudl remain on tsunami advisory well after the first wave hits, even if that wave appears small.

* 100+ aftershocks have rated 5.0 magnitude or more in Japan since the initial shake.

* Earth's axis has reportedly shifted ten inches as a result of the quake, and Japan's coast is said to have permanently shifted 2.4 metres.

* The quake was 900 times stronger than the quake that hammered San Francisco in 1989.

* Aftershocks from the Peru earthquake of almost a year ago are still felt to this day.

* Honshu earthquake occurred on ocean floor of the Pacific plate, bumping 250 miles of coastline.

* Shaking was felt as far away as China.

* The Honshu quake was not as large as the 1964 Alaska earthquake, but was comparable to the recent Chile earthquake.

* Tsunami waves that hit California earlier today washed three onlookers out to sea. Two have been recovered.

* St Louis, Missouri media outlets report that city has moved an inch as a result of the quake.

* Waves from the ensuing tsunami reached 32 feet high.

 

[bigdaddy]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

TOKYO – Japanese nuclear officials say radiation levels inside a nuclear power plant have surged to 1,000 times their normal levels after the cooling system failed.
The nuclear safety agency said early Saturday that some radiation has also seeped outside the plant, prompting calls for further evacuations of the area. Some 3,000 people have already been urged to leave their homes.
The cooling system for a reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant failed on Friday after a massive earthquake caused a power outage.
The continued loss of electricity has also delayed the planned release of vapor from inside the reactor to ease pressure. Pressure inside one of the reactors had risen to 1.5 times the level considered normal.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_japan_quake_power_plant

NBC said Japan moved to the east 8 feet (2.4m). At least it got further away from North Korea.

NBC is talking about how the Japanese have "lost control" of two reactors at this power plant. That's just lovely.

 

[Goji]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

All this from someone who used to assure us he was a no-hoper. You were brilliant, Goji.

Yeah... not sure *now* is the best time to bring up an optimism vs. pessimism debate. Besides, everyone still knows which side I take. Thanks for the kind words, though.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

What a horror. The destructive force of the tsunami is unbelievable. I shudder to think of what the final casualty toll will be.

I'm glad to hear that all TrekBBS peeps, friends and relatives are okay so far. Flukie, I hope you make contact with your people soon; Emher, I hope your girlfriend is okay.

Thank goodness the damage in Hawaii and the West Coast was minimal. I haven't heard any reports of what's happening in other countries yet, but I heard that the coast of Chile is in danger.

 

[Emher]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

^My sis is cool, but not cool enough to commit incest

 

[RJDiogenes]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

Oops, I got a little confused. I hope she's okay anyway.

 

[Emher]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

Eh, don't worry about it. Kinda good to poke fun at your mistake to releive the tension a bit right now.

And thanks.

 

[opali]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

The video footage is almost unbelievable. I can't imagine how frightening that was.


Emher I hope you hear from your sister very soon.

 

[bigdaddy]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

The power plant issue is getting worse. I suggest if anyone is near them and not within the evac area to get the hell away now.

Short version is 4-5 reactors at two power plants are in trouble. Radiation levels are 8 times what they should be at the gate of one of the power plants.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_japan_quake_power_plant

 

[Orac Zen]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

All this from someone who used to assure us he was a no-hoper. You were brilliant, Goji.

Yeah... not sure *now* is the best time to bring up an optimism vs. pessimism debate.

That wasn't my intention at all (and I imagine you realise that). Just offering a sincere compliment.

Edit: It occurs to me that you misunderstood what I meant by "no-hoper". That's an Australianism meaning (in the sense in which I used it) someone who reckons they'll never amount to anything. No insult (or stirring of old "debates") was intended.

 

[Goji]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

Well, I don't see the relevance of my lack of hope in any case. Not that it matters. Thanks, all the same.

Edit: Saw your edit, which cleared things up for me. I never took it as an insult, but like I said it seemed to lack any relevance and confused me a little. Now I get it. Thanks.

 

[Jetfire]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

Goji I believe Orac Zen is saying you have grown over the years.

I could be wrong.

 

[Gryffindorian]

Re: Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake.

Out here in the Bay Area, ferry services were canceled early in the day. I also heard massive traffic jams along the coast in Half Moon Bay. But the effects of the the tsunami were negligible.