'Melt-through' at Fukushima? / Govt report to IAEA suggests situation worse than meltdown

'Melt-through' at Fukushima? / Govt report to IAEA suggests situation worse than meltdown

www.yomiuri.co.jp

Nuclear fuel in three reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant has possibly melted through pressure vessels and accumulated at the bottom of outer containment vessels, according to a government report obtained Tuesday by The Yomiuri Shimbun.

A "melt-through"--when melted nuclear fuel leaks from the bottom of damaged reactor pressure vessels into containment vessels--is far worse than a core meltdown and is the worst possibility in a nuclear accident.

The possibility of the situation at the plant's Nos. 1 to 3 reactors was raised in a report that is to be submitted to the Internat

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.abc.net.au

The Japanese government have now finally admitted what has been suspected by many in the big thread.

Not only was there a melt-down, and not only did it start to occur within hours of the quake, not only has it turned out to be 3 complete melt-downs rather than the limited or partial melt-downs initially admitted, but now the Japanese government are finally acknowledging that in all probability the core has melted right through the bottom of the pressure vessel, and is sitting on the floor of the containment.

I'm glad to see the the truth is continuing to come out, albeit three months late.

Given the way things have gone so far though, I find myself wondering, if they are admitting it's probably melted through to the containment, how about the possibility that the containment was damaged enough that at least some of the corium is on its way through bedrock?

www.yomiuri.co.jp
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by whatisanameanyway

Given the way things have gone so far though, I find myself wondering, if they are admitting it's probably melted through to the containment, how about the possibility that the containment was damaged enough that at least some of the corium is on its way through bedrock?

In my un-expert opinion, that is the best case scenario! Let it melt through the core, and let the volcanic processes deal with it. I think that is a better scenario than having it sitting there in a containment vessel just waiting to be spilled into the air or the ocean.

Of course, nobody really knows what will happen if it breaches through the mantle, but it shouldn't be that much different than the normal volcanic activity in the area........hopefully........

It hasn't got far to go to reach the water table. What happens then, I dread to think.

Just found this:
When the Fukishima meltdown hits the groundwater.

It doesn't look good. Here is an animation linked to in the above article that shows the projected path of radioactive material.

www.weatheronline.co.uk...

There is water under the ground. It will be the China Syndrome and x 3 or more, repeatedly. This may already have taken place. We don't even know what that means.

Originally posted by getreadyalready


Of course, nobody really knows what will happen if it breaches through the mantle, but it shouldn't be that much different than the normal volcanic activity in the area........hopefully........

i swear if youtube vids come out with a doomsday prediction envolving the fukushima melting through the mantle and causing mega eruptions and quakes...

im blaming you


on topic though

fukushima is as bad as it is, the way they keep goin back and forth dancing around the issue...
leads me to believe its worse as in breaking the scale on what can go wrong with a nuclear core.

i hope this crazy weather is just pulverizing radioactive particles, because if not we all are already breathing particles from fukushima.

Originally posted by getreadyalready
but it shouldn't be that much different than the normal volcanic activity in the area........hopefully........

Normal volcanic activity for the pacific ring of fire?

I'm no scientist, but I would think even a mild volcanic eruption in the area would cause massive devastation and would probably spread radioactive particles much farther than any of the explosions at the facility to date.

I guess there's a chance that the radioactive materials would just get swallowed up by the earth, but I tend to think that a far bigger explosion - powered not just by the radioactive steam in the reactor - but by the very forces of mother nature herself - is the more likely outcome.

-sigh-

What was one of the big stories on CNN tonight?

Gay female blogger missing in the Middle East.

There are two stages that the Japan disaster can still expand into...

"Minority gay female" and "Disabled minority gay female"

I guess there is nothing to fear yet.


What upsets me the most is that I actually had someone tell me this weekend that the situation in Japan "must have been fixed because it hasn't been on the news lately".

Apparently it wouldn't make it past the groundwater, it would simply explode. Not a fission explosion, but enough to involve every other reactor and fuel rod on site. It would/will be bad. Very bad, as it doesn't look like anything will stop it now. See the article I linked to above.

Oh well...
I'm thinking of dropping my disgust at the events of the US bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Their own Govt's, and Tepco's, incompetence and lack of transparency will trump those events and in time will be a worse crime against the Japanese people.

I would be interested in what "The Redneck" has to say on this. I know he and his family have been going through their own hell. And I know we all wish them the best.

Sad thing is some people think potassium iodide will protect them, it will only help protect them from iodine-131 causing thyroid cancer (But only before you get exposed). There are other radioactive substances. If you are within the vicinity of a nuclear disaster, you will be blasted with many types of radiation, including deadly plutonium.

Originally posted by Mercurio
Sad thing is some people think potassium iodide will protect them, it will only help protect them from iodine-131 causing thyroid cancer (But only before you get exposed). There are other radioactive substances. If you are within the vicinity of a nuclear disaster, you will be blasted with many types of radiation, including deadly plutonium.

So what should people do instead to protect themselves?

Christ...

I'm pretty speechless. The third largest economic nation is officially and literally toast...

Originally posted by Mdv2

Originally posted by Mercurio
Sad thing is some people think potassium iodide will protect them, it will only help protect them from iodine-131 causing thyroid cancer (But only before you get exposed). There are other radioactive substances. If you are within the vicinity of a nuclear disaster, you will be blasted with many types of radiation, including deadly plutonium.

So what should people do instead to protect themselves?

the way things are going on this planet at the minute i think the best thing you can do is live every day as if its your last. watch a few sunsets and sunrises.

when you open your eyes in the morning just smile that you are still here.

Just remember now; saying this is worse than Chernobyl is a conspiracy theory.

reply to post by Mercurio


Plutonium is not a form of radiation, but a substance which emmits radiation. It is the way that plutonium might enter the body, and the type of radiation its particles give off that makes it deadly. But in truth it is no more lethal, in the amounts that could be involved here than would be thallium, strontium, or any other radioactive particle.
The trouble is that the people of Japan will likely be facing a double pronged attack on thier saftey, first from airborne particulates, and second from groundwater contamination. Ingesting water from contaminated sources will kill within seven days if the dose is high enough, and breathing contaminated air ..well you know that isnt good.

I have had a thought. If the containment vessel breaks, and the material exits through the bottom of the vessel, and approaches the ground water, is there a chance that it will explode on contact? Im pretty certain that the material involve here is very blasted warm indeed!

There could be more detonation here. Doesnt look good in either case really.

Originally posted by Nomad451
Christ...

I'm pretty speechless. The third largest economic nation is officially and literally toast...

400 hundred square miles are toast in a country with hundreds and hundreds of thousands of square miles. Thousands of nuclear bombs have been dropped all over the world and the planet always soaks it up. Japan will remain the world's number 3 economy. America has more to worry about economically - and Europe. Chernobyl melted down completely and the nuclear power plant is still operational. At Chernobyl the fuel mixed with the sand containment and went inert and whereas Fukushima doesn't have that containment layer the same thing would happen on contact with the ground.

Originally posted by Karilla
It hasn't got far to go to reach the water table. What happens then, I dread to think.

Just found this:
When the Fukishima meltdown hits the groundwater.

It doesn't look good. Here is an animation linked to in the above article that shows the projected path of radioactive material.

www.weatheronline.co.uk...

edit on 7-6-2011 by Karilla because: (no reason given)

The hawaiinewsdaily.com... appears to be down. I wonder why? At Chernobyl, literally thousands of miners built an underground chamber underneath the reactor meltdown filled with concrete and boron to prevent the radioactive material from reaching the water table and polluting major rivers and sources of drinking water. Many of them later died, but they probably saved millions.

The Japanese seem unwilling or unable to take similar measures. Is it because TEPCO is a for-profit company and such mega-engineering would cost too much? I think the Japanese government and army should step in now, if it's not already too late.

Originally posted by Nicolas Flamel

Originally posted by Karilla
It hasn't got far to go to reach the water table. What happens then, I dread to think.

Just found this:
When the Fukishima meltdown hits the groundwater.

It doesn't look good. Here is an animation linked to in the above article that shows the projected path of radioactive material.

www.weatheronline.co.uk...

edit on 7-6-2011 by Karilla because: (no reason given)

The hawaiinewsdaily.com... appears to be down. I wonder why? At Chernobyl, literally thousands of miners built an underground chamber underneath the reactor meltdown filled with concrete and boron to prevent the radioactive material from reaching the water table and polluting major rivers and sources of drinking water. Many of them later died, but they probably saved millions.

The Japanese seem unwilling or unable to take similar measures. Is it because TEPCO is a for-profit company and such mega-engineering would cost too much? I think the Japanese government and army should step in now, if it's not already too late.

A good question would be if the reactors are sitting on reclaimed land or not. I don't imagine it being very possible to reinforce the underlying structure in the same manner as done in Chernobyl.