Unfortunately, both the news of the shutdown and the explosion are true. The explosion was probably caused by the accumulation of hydrogen gas.

"FUKUSHIMA, Japan, March 12 (Reuters) - Radiation leaked from
an unstable Japanese nuclear reactor north of Tokyo on Saturday,
the government said, after an explosion blew the roof off the
facility in the wake of a massive earthquake.

An unchecked rise in temperature could cause the core to
essentially turn into a molten mass that could burn through the
reactor vessel," risk information service Stratfor said in a
report before the explosion. "This may lead to a release of an
unchecked amount of radiation into the containment building that
surrounds the reactor."

This is really bad news. The one ray of goodness out of all this are all the disaster teams being rushed to Japan. At least in all this devastation the world is cooperating in trying to help those in this overwhelming catastrophe.

On another note, the quake shifted the earth's axis 25 cm. (or 9.84 in.). That will have climate repercussions. To what degree, I have no idea. The Chilean quake shortened days very slightly (1.26 millionths of a second). This quake may partially reduce or reinforce that.

We already have a human catastrophe in Japan, but if what happened in Chernobyl happens there too, a 30 Km (19 miles) area around the reactor will have to be evacutated and will remain inhabitable for several years. This would be like nothing we have ever seen in an island the size of Japan, with over 127 million people crammed into it being exposed to the effects of nuclear fallout (not to mention that the nuclear reactor is right by the seaboard, and Japan is really close to mainland China and Russia).

Being a major economical power, the repercussions of such an event would be tremendous all over the world. This is trully becoming a disaster of biblical proportions.

Let's pray for the best.

It isn't that bad yet. There are contingency plans being implemented. Even if it does go into meltdown it won't be nearly as bad as Three Mile Island or Chernobyl.

Precisely, and all the tectonic, volcanic activity of the past 5 years is more likely the cause of global warming than anything man has or could have done.  The Earth is a huge and dynamic chunk of rock with many dynamic ecosystems, and man is but a piddling dot on its surface who could not possibly match the awesome power of the planet's overall dynamics. 

Yes, humanity needs to clean up its act, but charging ordinary and poor folk a carbon tax will do nothing other than line the pockets of those who seek to become considerably wealthier than they already are.  If the proposed carbon tax is implemented here in Australia, my quarterly power bill will rise to a $1,000 +.  That's going to be $4,000 p/a and closing in on  a quarter of what I get to live on.... if only I could afford to similarly pay a bunch of scientists to produce findings that were in my/our better interests.

Anyhow, I digress and my anti-global warming rant won't change the bullshit or the minds of those set to benefit most.  I am considerably better off than those affected by this horrendous natural disaster.   At least I have power... and a roof over my head.

Fortunately, Japan is well equipped and many countries have sent search and rescue teams to assist in the bid to find survivors, etc.

Let's hope not, neither Japan or the world at large can afford such a disaster... it would take decades to recover economically and otherwise, like the necessary exclusion zone in an island nation the size of Japan.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/42045714#42045714

Actual footage. The first "cube" (reactor building) on the left was the one to blow, and left just the steel scaffolding.

This in the country whose memory includes Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Not sure this'll help the nuclear industry much...

Given Chernobyl, the devastion there, I dunno we wanna help it.

Put it this way, I wouldn't want to like within 500km of a nuclear plant.

Facinating...

I just read that the whole island of Japan has shifted 2.4 meters to the east. That's almost 8 feet!

I also read that the earths axis shifted 10cm (almost 4 inches).

And the day shortened by another millionth of a second. It was the shifting of the Earth's mass during the quake. When you displace that huge a chunk of real estate there are bound to be changes however slight. Lets hope the ring settles down now. Four quakes and three of them rather large inside of a week so close together is not a good thing by any stretch.

I somehow don't think it is all over just yet.  With such a major shift on one side of the Pacific, it is quite possible there will be a similar event on the other side in the not too distant future.  For every action there is a reaction, and when such a huge chunk of real estate is suddenly shifted with such great force, there must be consequences elsewhere. 

The Earth, being dynamic, will make the necessary adjustments to recalibrate itself in order to remain a constant as it had done for billions of years.  The alternative would/could be, however, a too great an axis shift, with irregular rotations and an unstable orbit... all of which would create abnormal conditions world-wide.  This has occurred in the past, resulting in ice ages and/or unseasonally hot weather conditions, such as El Nino, etc.  Hopefully the planet will readjust and avert such a catastrophic event.

Oh, and BTW, I studied tectonics and vulcanology when I went back to school to better myself in the late 80's, and while I'm no expert I do have some understanding of the dynamics of the subject.

It's never over. as long as the crust floats on the magma and the earth rotates.

News from my cousin in Okinawa. There are 5 power plants with cooling issues, not 2 like the news is reporting over here.

The mainland of Japan protected Okinawa from the tsunami, so all they saw there was some waves that looked like high tides.

Thanks for the truth, Xiandi. I think the worst mistake governments make is not to tell the full truth as soon as they learn it. Transparancy in a nuclear accident would seem axiomatic.

No, it's never over, and for the reasons you gave, but we can hope that the counter event to balance things out is quite mild in comparison.

     I'm not an expert, far from it, I just dabble. As far as compensation for the island shifting, that has already happened. The shortening of the day is a direct result and starkers counter event. The process of plate tectonics is a natural one as I'm sure every one here is aware of. That arc of the Ring of Fire is the most active one. I checked out an earthquake map from the USGS that displays the number and location of earthquakes over a seven day span. On the map were over 800 earthquakes around the world. Most were located on the western edge of the ring and up north in Alaska. The least amount along the southern west coast of the US.

      The Pacific plate is moving north and slightly northwest at about three inches a year. Not a whole helluva lot but over time the pressure accumulates, especially when plates are 'locked', here the San Andreas comes to mind. Japan sits on top of a subduction zone, meaning that in that part the Pacifuc plate is subducted, slides under, the plate it comes up against. (Don't remember the name of that plate) I think its the Eurasian plate but I'm not sure. Anyway .... that movement accounts for Japan being displaced by how much? Eight feet according to Lady Xiandi. I wouldn't be surprised if the elevation has changed.

      In comparison on the US west coast the San Andreas fault zone is called a 'slip' fault. The Pacific plate sliding by the North American plate (remembered that one) at the same rate of movement. There the pressure continues to build and is sometimes partially eased by the micro-quakes and mini temblors that occur there on an almost regular basis. The 'Big One', the one that's supposed to send California into the pacific has yet to happen. The one in 1906 was given, I believe it was, an 8.0 rating. Japan's was a 8.9 (revised up from an 8.4). There are larger ones, 9.1 for example. That's close to a hundred times more powerful and its only two points higher. I wonder if all that movement on the western part of the ring is easing the stress on the eastern part or increasing it. It wouldn't come as a surprise were geologists to discover that the Pacific plate is rotating slight counterclockwise. If that's the case then the US west coast is in for a sudden 'shock'. No pun intended.

That is the counter event which is quite likely, looking at the opposites and historical records.  Christchurch in the Southern Pacific in relation to Japan... Japan in the Western Pacific in relation to the US.  Often the opposite seismic event follows within a relatively short period [not months or years] so it is reasonable to assume an event on the West Coast of the US is possible in the not too distant future. 

The South American Continent may also produce major seismic events during this time also.... meaning further events in the North Pacific and/orin the vicinity of Indonesia would likely follow.

Actually, on my evening news [13.03.11] it was revised upward to a 9.0... making it the 4th largest quake since records began, and equal in intensity to the Kamchatka quake of 1952.  More info on that here

The Japanese are projecting 10,000 dead in one Prefecture....and a second reactor in jeopardy. The Nisei will tank, and their insurance companies will be devestated also. Nothing but horrific news from there. A 60 year old man was rescued from the roof of his house....9 miles at sea!

Japan sits on the most active part, 80%, of the ring of fire. Got it from google and the USGS.

Update from Christchurch: Aftershocks are higher than what was expected while the opposite is true of Japan. That is not a good thing. Possibility of an increase in seismic pressure elsewhere. The red dots on the map are volcanoes. Something else to consider. Earthquakes have been known to set them off.

Um, and didn't I read somewhere recently that Mt St Helens was grumbling a bit more than it had done for some time?

Mt. St. Helens is no longer dormant. That changed back in 1980 when it erupted. It is now a very active volcano and the possibility does exist for it to go again. The one that really worries USGS is Mt. Ranier. Bigger by far than Mt.St.Helens and right on Seattle's doorstep. That one has not been listed as dormant! If that one goes so goes Seattle.

Only 10 cm, Doc.

And the whole of Japan main island was pushed 2.5 meters.

Mother Earth is pissed off, and has had enough. She's fighting back with a vengeance.
(I don't f***ing blame her. We, the human race, are the worst scum in existence.)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/japan-quake-2011/beforeafter.htm

drag your mouse over each image from right to left to see the difference.

Yes, I knew that, but I'm sure that I read somewhere just recently that Mt St Helens is showing signs of belly ache and could spew forth soonish.

I've not seen anything on Mt Ranier of late, but now you mention it I shall look it up..

Considering the billions upon billions of tons of rock/minerals man has removed and cannot replace, the planet's equilibrium quite possibly is skewed and Mother Earth is rearranging the furniture to stop us going off-kilter and hurtling into space.  I was watching a documentary a few nights ago and they showed the biggest man made hole on Earth, and man, it is phenomenal.... several kilometres deep and just as big across. 

One such hole my not be of great consequence, but mankind has created them right around the globe... and when you consider how much cooling vegetation has also been destroyed, there are bound to be lash-backs from mother nature.

Oh, and for anyone who reads this and thinks my position on this global warming bullshit has changed, no, no it has not.... different dynamics entirely. 

To personalize an earthquake and tidal wave? A female planet? Well, that's one way of looking at it. Mine? Since you asked, The planet has no emotion, sentience nor sex. It produced an environment conducive to our life form evolving and altering that environment. This may or may not lead to our extinction.

To ascribe the earth's rotation, molten core and magma layers which cause the crust plates to move, collide and subduct to a female planet's plan to snuff out a pesky (if at times, adorable and lovable) life form however, seems a tad outre.

Our actions and inactions have consequences, Snowy. I don't need to ascribe seismic events to justifiable actions of an aggrieved female planetary intelligence.

Horrendous! 

Nice link Xiandi! Cool and sad at the same time. Reminds us of just how vulnerable we are...and just how poorly we plan for these things.

And Doc. Mother Earth = she. I don't think he meant it literally...or was insinuating/suggesting anything by that. Everyone calls the planet Mother Earth...at least everyone I know does. And I tend to think of the planet as a living eco system. And when we humans do things that screws up the balances on this planet I think it's going to fight back...so to speak. And whether you think of it as being a living thing with or without a sex isn't at all important...the consequences are still the same...we self proclaimed smart humans are screwing things up and payback time is coming. I seriously doubt we as humans are going to wise up in time to turn things around. We can't concentrate or agree on one thing long enough to make a difference. When we stop trying to appear smart and actually become smart is when we can make a real difference...until then it will only "appear" as though we're making a difference.

As far as the planet producing an environment conducive to our life form...I think it's us that is forced to change according to what the planet gives us...and if we can't adapt to it or we screw it up...it's going to shake us off like a bad case of fleas. So...we can either respect the planet or join the dinosaurs as past tenants of the planet. And that may come sooner than we think. We just got a taste of what could happen and how quickly we could all be gone.