Big earthquake in Japan

[JohnBraden]

Originally Posted by RealJames

I'm gonna shoot in the dark and assume that Termo knows that there are still lots of people suffering, then further assume that he meant their situation is being managed and controlled sufficiently well enough to not enter into crisis-status again, whereas the plant may.

I'm not quite following the news posts though, I get enough of that from tv here, but I don't know what it's like for those outside Japan.

Well it appears that the NHK programming we get here is beginning to return to normal. It's not all news about Fukushima. Some programs are starting to air again, while some like Tokyo Eye, Journeys in Japan, etc. still have no schedule. I wonder if NHK is still using those people as reporters for other things. There used to be lots of Japanese-language NHK programming after the hourly news voiced over into English, but that seems to have died down quite a bit....

[Shaelyn]

new shock hit off the coast of Sendai - 7.1 / 7.4 magnitude. biggest aftershock so far.

Fresh quake triggers tsunami warning in Japan - CNN.com

Update: Tsunami Warnings Lifted; Another Strong Earthquake Rocks Japan : The Two-Way : NPR

[GoNative]

Generally things are looking pretty good in relation to radiation levels found around Fukushima and at the plant recently. Don't think we have to evacuate the whole country just yet!




[/quote]

[termogard]

Japanese men equipped by radiometers accomplished a trip into forbidden 20km zone around Fukushima nuclear power plant :

YouTube - 原発避難区域は犬や牛の群れが闊歩する無法地帯に

[tenmins]

Originally Posted by termogard

Japanese men equipped by radiometers accomplished a trip into forbidden 20km zone around Fukushima nuclear power plant :

YouTube - 原発避難区域は犬や牛の群れが闊歩する無法地帯に

Amazing footage. They are driving through a ghost town. Can anyone translate into English how high the radiation levels were? Serious risk to health or still pretty low?

[termogard]

Originally Posted by tenmins

Amazing footage. They are driving through a ghost town. Can anyone translate into English how high the radiation levels were? Serious risk to health or still pretty low?

I think, our japanese friends could translate some texts to clear the situation.

As I can understand, travellers passed not only one ghost town and finally reached distances up to 1,8 and 1,5 kilometers from a location of Fukushima NPP. Radiation levels were from 94,2 millisievert per hour to 112 miillisieverts per hour.

In my home town usual day-to-day natural radiation level is about 0,110 - 0,150 microsieverts per hour. As far as I know, day-to-day radiation levels below 0, 400 are considered safe and pose no risk for human health.

[GoNative]

Nothing serious if you didn't stay too long. You wouldn't want to hang around for days on end though without any protection. Hence the exclusion zone.

[termogard]

Originally Posted by GoNative

Nothing serious if you didn't stay too long. You wouldn't want to hang around for days on end though without any protection. Hence the exclusion zone.

Understood. But how many days one could stay at a place with a level ~ 112 millisieverts per hour without negative consequences for health, I wonder?

[tenmins]

A couple of questions here.
1. If the whole Fukushima power plant were hoisted into space and sent off somewhere towards the sun would there still be any serious radiation in the area where it used to be?
2. If so, how long would it take to return to tolerable levels?

Tricky questions I know. Any ideas?

[GoNative]

Just one thing though termograd I think you're missing a decimal place. From what I saw they got up to just over 11 microsieverts/hr not over 100.

Ah just rewatched and yes it got up to 112 but that was very close to the reactor. To be expected I guess. No one will be living close to the reactors for a long time I'd say!