Rain in Japan threatens to contaminate ground with radioactivity
A low pressure system is located over Japan near Tokyo today, and the counterclockwise flow of air around this low is bringing easterly winds over the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which lies to the north-northeast of Tokyo. These easterly winds are blowing radioactivity inland over Japan. As the low tracks northeastward along the coast of Japan today, winds at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant will gradually shift to northeast and then northwest, which will move radiation towards Tokyo for several hours, which may be long enough for some radiation to reach the city. NOAA's HYSPLIT trajectory model shows that for a release of radioactivity at 50 meters altitude beginning at 21 GMT on Monday (when an explosion at the #2 reactor was recorded), with repeat releases simulated to occur every 2 hours thereafter, the plumes will stay to the north of Tokyo (Figure 1.) However, a more detailed dispersion model being run by the Austrian weather service shows that the plumes may affect much of the Tokyo area today. Both models predict that by 18 GMT today (2pm EDT), the threat to Tokyo will be over, with more westerly winds blowing the radioactive cloud out to sea.
Figure 1. Forecast movement of a plume of radioactive plume of air emitted at 50 meters altitude at 21 UTC Monday, March 14, 2011 from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Radioactivity is similated to be released every 2 hours thereafter, going out 24 hours. Images created using NOAA's HYSPLIT trajectory model.
As the low pressure system moves through Japan today, it will bring rain. Current radar loops from the Japan Meteorological Agency show a wide area of rain approaching Tokyo and the Fukushima nuclear plant. Rain is very efficient at removing radioactive particles from the air, and there is the threat of surface and ground water contamination where significant concentrations of radioactive material get rained out. By Wednesday, most of the rain will be gone, and predominately northwesterly winds will build in behind the departing low pressure system. This flow regime will stay in place for the remainder of the week, keeping radioactive emissions from the nuclear plant away from Tokyo, and headed out to sea at low altitudes near the surface.
Ground level releases of radioactivity are typically not able to be transported long distances in significant quantities, since much of the material settles to the ground a few kilometers from the source. If there is a major explosion with hot gases that shoots radioactivity several kilometers high, that would increase the chances for long range transport, since now the ground is farther away, and the particles that start settling out will stay in the air longer before encountering the ground. Additionally, winds are stronger away from ground, due to reduced friction and presence of the jet stream aloft. These stronger winds will transport radioactivity greater distances.
Figure 2. Seven-day forecast movement of a plume of radioactive plume of air emitted at 8am EDT (12 UTC) today at 50 meters altitude from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Flow of air in the warm and cold conveyor belts of the low pressure system affecting Japan are expected to loft radioactivity to 4 - 5 km altitude, where it will be transported thousands of miles over the coming week. Images created using NOAA's HYSPLIT trajectory model.
One case where a ground level release might get lofted to high altitudes is when the source region is located near an approaching low pressure system (extratropical cyclone), as is the case today. On the cold side of the approaching warm front, where the Fukushima nuclear plant is located today, lies a broad band of ascending air called the "cold conveyor belt." This conveyor belt can loft surface air to an altitude of several kilometers in a day, as seen in the trajectory plot in Figure 2. In addition, the "warm sector" of a low pressure system in front of the approaching cold front features a ribbon of ascending air about 100 - 200 km wide called a "warm conveyor belt", which is also capable of lofting surface air several kilometers high in a day. However, there is often considerable precipitation in both of these conveyor belts, which will tend to remove large quantities of radiation before it can be transported long distances. There will be some radiation from Japan lofted to high altitudes today by the low pressure system affecting the region, and if the radiation manages to escape being rained out, it could potentially be transported thousands of miles over the next week. A run of the HYSPLIT model following the path of a radioactive cloud emitted at 12 UTC (8am EDT) this morning shows the radioactivity being lofted 4 - 5 km in altitude and being transported over Alaska over the coming week. After a week of transport, this cloud will be considerably diluted, and I strongly doubt the radioactivity would be harmful to human health if rain or snow were to carry it to the ground over Alaska or Canada, assuming that the radiation levels currently being advertised at ground level in Japan are correct.
Jeff Masters
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The nuclear powers have conducted at least 2,000 nuclear test explosions (numbers are approximated, as some test results have been disputed):
Over 2,000 nuclear explosions have been conducted, in over a dozen different sites around the world.
"Baker Shot", part of Operation Crossroads, a nuclear test by the United States at Bikini Atoll in 1946
* United States United States: 1,054 tests by official count (involving at least 1,151 devices, 331 atmospheric tests), most at Nevada Test Site and the Pacific Proving Grounds in the Marshall Islands, with 10 other tests taking place at various locations in the United States, including Amchitka Alaska, Colorado, Mississippi, and New Mexico (see Nuclear weapons and the United States for details).[3]
* Soviet Union Soviet Union: 715 tests (involving 969 devices) by official count,[4] most at Semipalatinsk Test Site and Novaya Zemlya, and a few more at various sites in Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine.
* France France: 210 tests by official count (50 atmospheric, 160 underground[5]), 4 atomic atmospheric tests at C.E.S.M. near Reggane, 13 atomic underground tests at C.E.M.O. near In Ekker in the then-French Algerian Sahara, and nuclear atmospheric tests at Fangataufa and nuclear undersea tests Moruroa in French Polynesia. Additional atomic and chemical warfare tests took place in the secret base B2-Namous, near Ben Wenif, other tests involving rockets and missiles at C.I.E.E.S, near Hammaguir, both in the Sahara.
* United Kingdom United Kingdom: 45 tests (21 in Australian territory, including 9 in mainland South Australia at Maralinga and Emu Field, some at Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean, plus many others in the United States as part of joint test series)[6]
* People's Republic of China China: 45 tests (23 atmospheric and 22 underground, at Lop Nur Nuclear Weapons Test Base, in Malan, Xinjiang)[7][8]
* India India: 6 underground tests (including the first one in 1974), at Pokhran[citation needed].
* Pakistan Pakistan: 6 underground tests, at Ras Koh Hills, Chagai District and Kharan Desert, Kharan District in Balochistan Province[citation needed].
* North Korea North Korea: two tests at Hwadae-ri[citation needed].
Additionally, there may have been at least three alleged but unacknowledged nuclear explosions (see list of alleged nuclear tests). Of these, the only one taken seriously as a possible nuclear test is the Vela Incident, a possible detection of a nuclear explosion in the Indian Ocean in 1979.
From the first nuclear test in 1945 until tests by Pakistan in 1998, there was never a period of more than 22 months with no nuclear testing. June 1998 to October 2006 was the longest period since 1945 with no acknowledged nuclear tests.
as far as MSNBC..they said ALL workers..thats two major news outlet reporting it
Link
+ 1,000,000
yeah, grothar. this feels weird.
totally out of my control.
i have no idea why it's happening either but can feel it in my head.
it's just something that happened.
the doc said, 'what do you do for a living?'
i said "i manage people and programs.'
an IT person, he said.
and that seemed to mean something.
really. then the battle was lost.
Not a world event?
To what degree of certainty do you speak? Granted, "should" implies less certainty than "will" but quite a bit more than "maybe."
You might want to look back at my post right after the news conference. Maybe 9:30 CDT or so. I quoted exactly what the English translator said. Secretary Edano spoke in Japanese.
What is your situation?
Currently tracking about 201,200 records.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307 698:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42084187/ns/world_new s-asiapacific/?gt1=43001
March 15th, 2011
http://www.foxnews.com/
I understand.
:)
Far as I'm concerned, "the majors" is the horse's mouth. Add: In this case, Mr. Enago.
He showed a Rad. measuring device in his pocket... Sure he's monitoring on breaks, the wind and that snow falling...
http://www.comcast.net/
If Comcast is reporting this, then it must be true?
NOT good news. What else will Japan have to endure?
Late breaking 2 hour behind the news bloggers maybe?
Perhaps this will help the push toward serious reductions in nuclear weapons. If so, some good will have come of this. The plutonium-239 from reactor 3 (plumes of steam) is extremely dangerous and its half-life is 24,100 years. It will be several thousand years before it is down to 1%, and that stuff is scary even at trace levels. It appears that the situation is leaving extremely serious and heading into grave.
Link
So true. Goodnight and thanks for your input.
Venezuela suspends nuclear energy program
VENEZUELA'S President Hugo Chavez said he is suspending his country's fledgling nuclear energy program in the wake of the disaster affecting power plants hit in Japan by a massive earthquake and tsunami.
"I have directed (Energy) Minister (Rafael) Ramirez to freeze the plans we have been advancing, for preliminary studies of a peaceful Venezuelan nuclear program," the president said.
"What has happened in the last hours is extremely risky and dangerous for the whole world, because despite the advanced technology that Japan has, just look at what has been happening with some nuclear reactors.
"The magnitude of the nuclear problem in Japan is not known."
Venezuela in 2010 signed an agreement with Russia to begin to build the first nuclear power plant in the South American country, an agreement which aroused the suspicion of the United States.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/venezuela-sus pends-nuclear-energy-program/story-e6frfku0-122602 2503710#ixzz1GjOaUhiN
2.21pm Governor says radiation levels in Tokyo 20 times normal, The Japan Times reports.
2.08pm The level of radiation at the plant surged to 1000 millisieverts today before coming down to 800-600 millisieverts. Still, that was far more than the average.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/world/magnitude-quake-strik es-japan/story-e6frfkyi-1226019903430#ixzz1GjQH4BH u
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain."
-Frank Herbert
0404: More details on that new quake. No tsunami warning was immediately issued, but the Japan Meteorological Agency said a change in sea levels was possible, the AFP reports.
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