Tag Archives: earthquake

International, U.S.

Radioactive debris in Pacific Ocean months away from West Coast of North America

“A Russian ship discovered a small Japanese fishing boat in the waters north of Hawaii in October that was definitively tied to the tsunami, and it was about where we thought it should be, given the currents.”-Jack Barth, Oregon State University

11 months after the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunamis hit Japan, and started the worlds biggest nuclear disaster, the radioactive flotsam is still a few months away from the West Coast of North America.

According to the Yamhill Valley News, in the U.S. state of Oregon, officials and non-governmental organizations are preparing.  So when do they think the March 11 debris will begin arriving, and which way will it go when it hits the coast line?

“Much of the debris generated from the earthquake and tsunami has or will become waterlogged, weighed down with barnacles or other organisms, and sink. A large fraction of it will be diverted south into the ‘Garbage Patch’ between Hawaii and the West Coast, and may circulate in that gyre. What remains should arrive here at the end of 2012, or the beginning of 2013.  If it arrives in the fall and winter, it will get pushed up north by the currents to Washington, British Columbia and even Alaska. Debris arriving in late spring and summer will hit Oregon and be swept south into California waters.”-Jack Barth, Oregon State University

Note that the university official is talking about the debris that was instantly swept out to sea by the tsunamis.  The radiation contamination of the Pacific Ocean began days after that, and is continuing.

“The major air and water discharges of radioactive material from the Daiichi plants occurred a few days after the debris field was created by the tsunami…wind, rain and salt spray have been pummeling this material for months. The key radionuclides are composed of iodine and cesium….Most of the iodine has gone because of radioactive decay. The radioactive cesium, to a great extent, will be washed off and diluted in the surrounding ocean.”-Kathryn Higley, Oregon State University

However, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is warning people to use common sense when picking up objects found on the west coast beaches.  They even have a website for beachgoers: http://marinedebris.noaa.gov

The Japanese Consulate in Seattle, Washington, is asking anyone who finds personal possessions on the beach to please return them to Japan.

Fukushima

Japanese government reveals just how bad General Electric designed Fukushima Nuclear accident could have been (or might still be)!

Two weeks after the nuclear disaster started, at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, the Japanese Atomic Energy Commission submitted a worst case scenario to the government.

It could have been (and might still be) worse than the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The official reason why the report was not made public, is because government officials did not consider it an official document!  The real reason is that the report was quickly dismissed by officials, and then forgotten, until it was discovered in an office of the Atomic Energy Commission, at the end of 2011.

Currently there is a 20 km (12 miles) mandatory evacuation zone around Fukushima Daiichi, some experts say it should be expanded.  Under the worst case scenario it should be 170 km (105.6 miles)!

The scenario also called for voluntary evacuations out to 250 kilometers (155 miles).  That would include all of Tokyo!

The nuclear reactors are considered in cold shut down, but they are far from stable.  Currently, Reactor 2 keeps heating up and Tokyo Electric Power Company officials don’t know why!

 

International, Technology

Government Incompetence: Chile to charge former officials with manslaughter, for failing to warn people of incoming Tsunami in 2010

In 2010 an 8.8 earthquake hit a coastal town in Chile.  More than 500 people died mainly because of a tsunami.

After prosecutes investigated, it was decided that not only was no tsunami warning given, but officials said there was no tsunami.  After people returned home, they were hit with a tsunami.

Among the former officials being charged with manslaughter are a former navy official who was in charge of issuing tsunami warnings.  The former head of the National Emergency Office, and a former Interior Ministry official.

Gee, if only that kind of legal action would happen here in the U.S.!

 

International, Technology, U.S.

Pacific Ring of Fire Seismic Events: 2012 already shaping up to be big?

In past postings I reported on what appears to be the average number of magnitude 6.5 or greater earthquakes that hit the Pacific Ring of Fire.

In going through the USGS’s Significant Earthquakes of the World, all the way back to 1999, it seems the Pacific Ring of Fire has about 50 per year.

The Pacific Ring of Fire involves not only the Pacific Plate, but the Nazca Plate, the Antarctic Plate, Cocos Plate, Juan de Fuca Plate, North American Plate, South American Plate, Scotia Plate, Filipino Plate, Eurasian Plate and Australian Plate, whew!

Well, from January 1 to February 12, 2012, there have already been seven “significant” earthquakes involving the plates of the Pacific Ring of Fire.  In fact, so far, the only significant quakes for 2012 have been the seven around the Pacific Ring of Fire!

What about earthquakes in general?  If you look at the USGS’s list of quakes from January 13 to February 4, 2012, the overwhelming majority are around the Pacific Ring of Fire.  I counted at least 453 reported earthquakes around the Pacific Ring.

Most of the quakes are hitting Japan (with the most), California, Alaska, Mexico, Chile, countries on the Filipino Plate (like Indonesian islands getting hit almost as much as Japan), New Zealand and Vanuatu.

Vanuatu is a Southwestern Pacific Island north of New Zealand.  Since the beginning of February it’s getting hit almost daily with quakes ranging from magnitude 4 to 5.

Fukushima

Japan Modern Day Atlantis round 7 & What Economic Recovery? People fleeing Nuclear disaster in Japan destroying the local economy and local governments

The Japanese National Police Agency have released the latest numbers regarding people leaving the disaster hit areas of Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima prefectures.

At this point more than 150,000 people have left the Tohoku region (where the affected prefectures are).  Just a few weeks ago, in January, is was reported that 31,381 people left Fukushima Prefecture alone.  But now, February 11, that number has jumped to 53,000!

Local officials are now saying if people keep leaving at that rate the local economy will be destroyed, along with tax revenues.

Earlier in the week, the Japanese national government reported that reconstruction efforts are not taking place because contractors can not find enough workers who are willing to work in the nuclear disaster area.  This too will destroy the local economies.

And it’s not just people fleeing the Tohoku Region, back in October, 2011, the Japanese Foreign Ministry reported that a record 1.1 million people left the entire country of Japan, just seven months after the March 11 disasters!

At this point the Japanese National Police say 15,787 people have been confirmed dead, and 3,302 are still missing, from the March 11, 2011 disasters.

JAPAN MODERN DAY ATLANTIS ROUND 6: NE HONSHU TO BE HIT BY ANOTHER MAGNITUDE 8+ QUAKE

Fukushima

Government & Corporate Incompetence: Reactor 2 at Fukushima Daiichi heating up, possibly due to a plumbing screw up!

On 27 January 2012, the temperature in reactor 2 was at 45 Celsius (113 Fahrenheit). On 05 February it’s at 73.3 Celsius (163.9 Fahrenheit).

Tokyo Electric (now effectively state owned due to running out of money) reports that the rise in temp could be due to some recent plumbing work.  Hello!

Another problem is that two separate thermometers are giving cooler temp readings, so they’re not sure which ones to believe.  To be safe they’re going with the higher temp readings.

TEPCo is now pumping 10.6 tons of water per hour, trying to keep the General Electric designed Fukushima Daiichi Reactor 2 from overheating.

Fukushima

What Economic Recovery? 130,000 Japanese flee 11 March 2011, disaster areas!

The Tohoku region, which has three of the prefectures hit hardest by the 11 March 2011 disasters, saw 129,385 people leave.

The prefectures affected are of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima.  Fukushima had the most people leave; 31,381.

Believe it or not, people did actually move into the region.  88,159 people moved in, making the net loss of population 40,000. According to Japan’s Internal Affairs Ministry, that’s still the biggest decline in population, in that region, since 1970.

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Black Horse & What Economic Recovery? Exxon Mobil to quit Japan

…there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”

Exxon Mobil announced that they will give up their controlling stake in Japan’s Tonen General, a major Japanese refinery.

This comes as Japan has 94% of it’s nuclear power plants shut down, and the government planning on increasing power generation through petroleum products.

Officially Exxon Mobil says demand for petroleum is down in Japan, because of fuel efficient vehicles.

Could the real reason be that Japan’s economy is in shambles, with record unemployment levels in 2011, so that even if demand for oil products went up no one is able to pay for them?

Fukushima

Pacific Ring of Fire & Japan Modern Day Atlantis round 6: NE Honshu to be hit by another magnitude 8+ quake

Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) is reporting that the March 11, 2011, magnitude 9 earthquake has created conditions for another large magnitude quake in the same region.

JAMSTEC studied the fault lines off the north east coast of Honshu and concluded that the March 11 quake changed the dynamics of the Pacific Plate, which subducts under Japan.

Normally aftershocks take place when established, or even new, fault lines are compressed.  The aftershocks that have continued since March 11, 2011, are not happening that way, they are the result of the faults being pulled apart.

This type of aftershock action can result in a huge earthquake.  The last time Japan suffered a magnitude 8+ quake, as a result of faults being pulled apart, was 80 years ago.

JAMSTEC says the chances of such a quake have greatly increased, as well as the chances of more massive tsunamis.  This follows a recent report about a huge fault cliff discovered off the southern end of Honshu.

JAPAN MODERN DAY ATLANTIS ROUND 5: SOUTHERN HONSHU COULD SUFFER TSUNAMI EVEN LARGER THAN THE ONE THAT HIT IN MARCH 2011

Fukushima

Pacific Ring of Fire & Japan Modern Day Atlantis round 5: Southern Honshu could suffer Tsunami even larger than the one that hit in March 2011

A team of researchers from University of Tokyo, and Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), have discovered that southern Honshu will get hit by a much larger tsunami, than the one that hit north eastern Honshu in March, 2011.

Their reason is that they’ve discovered, off the Kii Peninsula, a deep ocean fault cliff that’s 200 km (124 miles) long and 1,000 meters (3,281 feet) tall!

The Kii Peninsula is on the Central Tectonic, or Japan Median Tectonic, fault line, which runs from eastern Honshu down through Kyushu.  On the south side of that line is the highly unstable Philippine Plate.

Professors are now warning local officials that they need to draw up new earthquake/tsunami survival plans in light of the discovery.

JAPAN MODERN DAY ATLANTIS ROUND 4: MINAMISANRIKU, HOMETOWN OF HEROINE MIKI ENDO IS BECOMING THE ATLANTIS I PREDICTED