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Re: A lesson from Japan: Be prepared for earthquakes
I was watching as earthquakes went up the left hand side of the pacific plate, figuring Alaska would be next.
I'm fairly pr epared here, the PNW is going to get hit again someday. We had a 6.2 a few years ago and it cracked some cement but nothing big...
I was watching as earthquakes went up the left hand side of the pacific plate, figuring Alaska would be next.
I'm fairly pr epared here, the PNW is going to get hit again someday. We had a 6.2 a few years ago and it cracked some cement but nothing big...
Re: A lesson from Japan: Be prepared for earthquakes
The subduction zone quakes are amazing in their ferocity. The effect on No. Cal., Or., Wa. and B.C., in the next Cascadia major event is proably incomprehensible. Many buildings in downtown metro areas are old construction and most waterfront areas are built on fill. Many Or. and Wa. coastal communities are built on small plains that were historically sand dunes or marshlands. Until the Indonesian quake, there was little in the way of preparedness or advance warning systems in place. This is slowly improving but is in no way adequate.
The No. coast of Or. has three roads in ans out: Hwy. 30 along the Columbia, Hwy. 26 over the coastal range and 101 down the coast. In '07 we had a tremendous storm that brought winds to about 130mph and flooding. All three roads were closed communications were gone except Sat. phone and Ham and the power grid was down. This lasted in some areas for up to two weeks. Prepared for a big quake? I don't think so.
The subduction zone quakes are amazing in their ferocity. The effect on No. Cal., Or., Wa. and B.C., in the next Cascadia major event is proably incomprehensible. Many buildings in downtown metro areas are old construction and most waterfront areas are built on fill. Many Or. and Wa. coastal communities are built on small plains that were historically sand dunes or marshlands. Until the Indonesian quake, there was little in the way of preparedness or advance warning systems in place. This is slowly improving but is in no way adequate.
The No. coast of Or. has three roads in ans out: Hwy. 30 along the Columbia, Hwy. 26 over the coastal range and 101 down the coast. In '07 we had a tremendous storm that brought winds to about 130mph and flooding. All three roads were closed communications were gone except Sat. phone and Ham and the power grid was down. This lasted in some areas for up to two weeks. Prepared for a big quake? I don't think so.
Re: A lesson from Japan: Be prepared for earthquakes
What me worry? I'm in San Diego we don't have them here.
What me worry? I'm in San Diego we don't have them here.
Re: A lesson from Japan: Be prepared for earthquakes
Thank God my grandparents stopped here in Texas when they moved from Tennessee.
Jim
Thank God my grandparents stopped here in Texas when they moved from Tennessee.
Jim
Re: A lesson from Japan: Be prepared for earthquakes
Hayboy, Google "1811 quake." You might be surprised.
Hayboy, Google "1811 quake." You might be surprised.
Re: A lesson from Japan: Be prepared for earthquakes
Better lesson to learn. Don't build a nuclear power plant on a active fault line.
Flyingbullseye
Better lesson to learn. Don't build a nuclear power plant on a active fault line.
Flyingbullseye
Re: A lesson from Japan: Be prepared for earthquakes
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Flyingbullseye</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Better lesson to learn. Don't build a nuclear power plant on a active fault line.
Flyingbullseye</div></div>
It wasn't the quake the caused the problem it was the ensuing tsunami that took out electricity for the pumps that in turn caused the overheating. The reactors took the quake just fine
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Flyingbullseye</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Better lesson to learn. Don't build a nuclear power plant on a active fault line.
Flyingbullseye</div></div>
It wasn't the quake the caused the problem it was the ensuing tsunami that took out electricity for the pumps that in turn caused the overheating. The reactors took the quake just fine
Re: A lesson from Japan: Be prepared for earthquakes
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: hayboy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Not many quakes in AL but we hve tornados everywhere. </div></div>
HA! You just had a 3.5 last week and probably never felt it!
I usually don't feel them unless they are 4.5 or so...
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: hayboy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Not many quakes in AL but we hve tornados everywhere. </div></div>
HA! You just had a 3.5 last week and probably never felt it!
I usually don't feel them unless they are 4.5 or so...
Re: A lesson from Japan: Be prepared for earthquakes
Hell, we get advanced warnings for Hurricanes, often a week or more, and 2/3 of the mutton heads around here do nothing to prepare...
Be Prepared! Be proactive when prepared! And make your own luck!
Hell, we get advanced warnings for Hurricanes, often a week or more, and 2/3 of the mutton heads around here do nothing to prepare...
Be Prepared! Be proactive when prepared! And make your own luck!
Re: A lesson from Japan: Be prepared for earthquakes
The places that have earthquakes frequently generally only have lots of small, harmless ones. The faults that move infrequently are more likely to have lots more energy stored up. And when they let go, it's a doozie. Like Cascadia and New Madrid.
The towns of Greenbrier and Guy in Arkansas have had dozens of earthquakes this year and I ain't seen nothing about them in the news. You don't reckon they done fell off into the Gulf of Mehico and nobody's noticed, do you?
Japan's major malfunction is that it's in about as stupid a location as you could pick for a collection of major metropolitan areas. It sits right on the western edge of the very small Filipino tectonic plate, which is hemmed in between four other much larger plates that are constantly manhandling it. Twenty percent of <span style="text-decoration: underline">all</span> magnitude 6 or greater earthquakes on earth strike Tokyo. Much to their credit, aggressive building codes keep Tokyo off the list of cities that suffer the most extensive earthquake damage but regardless of how well they prepare for the next big one, it's only a matter of time until Mother Nature serves them up more than they can cope with and thousands more are killed.
The places that have earthquakes frequently generally only have lots of small, harmless ones. The faults that move infrequently are more likely to have lots more energy stored up. And when they let go, it's a doozie. Like Cascadia and New Madrid.
The towns of Greenbrier and Guy in Arkansas have had dozens of earthquakes this year and I ain't seen nothing about them in the news. You don't reckon they done fell off into the Gulf of Mehico and nobody's noticed, do you?
Japan's major malfunction is that it's in about as stupid a location as you could pick for a collection of major metropolitan areas. It sits right on the western edge of the very small Filipino tectonic plate, which is hemmed in between four other much larger plates that are constantly manhandling it. Twenty percent of <span style="text-decoration: underline">all</span> magnitude 6 or greater earthquakes on earth strike Tokyo. Much to their credit, aggressive building codes keep Tokyo off the list of cities that suffer the most extensive earthquake damage but regardless of how well they prepare for the next big one, it's only a matter of time until Mother Nature serves them up more than they can cope with and thousands more are killed.
Re: A lesson from Japan: Be prepared for earthquakes
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The Mechanic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It wasn't the quake the caused the problem it was the ensuing tsunami that took out electricity for the pumps that in turn caused the overheating. The reactors took the quake just fine </div></div>I'm no nuclear scientist, but here's an idea: If you happen to be running a nuclear power plant, and it relies on diesel generators for backup, and you don't have a generator installed high enough in the plant to stay above water, then shut them off at the tsunami warning and plug the intakes. When the water subsides simply start them up again. Just a thought...
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The Mechanic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It wasn't the quake the caused the problem it was the ensuing tsunami that took out electricity for the pumps that in turn caused the overheating. The reactors took the quake just fine </div></div>I'm no nuclear scientist, but here's an idea: If you happen to be running a nuclear power plant, and it relies on diesel generators for backup, and you don't have a generator installed high enough in the plant to stay above water, then shut them off at the tsunami warning and plug the intakes. When the water subsides simply start them up again. Just a thought...
Re: A lesson from Japan: Be prepared for earthquakes
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Graham</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The Mechanic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It wasn't the quake the caused the problem it was the ensuing tsunami that took out electricity for the pumps that in turn caused the overheating. The reactors took the quake just fine </div></div>I'm no nuclear scientist, but here's an idea: If you happen to be running a nuclear power plant, and it relies on diesel generators for backup, and you don't have a generator installed high enough in the plant to stay above water, then shut them off at the tsunami warning and plug the intakes. When the water subsides simply start them up again. Just a thought... </div></div>
It's not that easy. Nuclear plants don't supply their own electricity. Those generators have to run immediately after losing offsite power or the the reactor will fail. When a reactor is SCRAMed (turned off) it continues to produce enormous amounts of heat, and the electricity the diesels provide is essential to run the equipment to cool the reactor core and circulate water through the spent fuel pool. Shutting down the diesels even for a few minutes would have catastrophic effects. When their diesel fuel supply was contaminated with sea water and their freshwater wells failed, they were forced to rely on using sea water to cool the entire system. This has many negative effects, such as corroding pumps and valves, clogging pipes with sediment, and eroding the casing around the fuel bundles. When they lost all power they had no way to circulate water in the spent fuel pools, that water boiled off releasing hydrogen in the process, and caused the explosions.
There were many things that went wrong in Japan that led to the radiological release, but trust me, it could have been much worse. Those engineers did a good job of taking a very bad situation and mitigating it.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Graham</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The Mechanic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It wasn't the quake the caused the problem it was the ensuing tsunami that took out electricity for the pumps that in turn caused the overheating. The reactors took the quake just fine </div></div>I'm no nuclear scientist, but here's an idea: If you happen to be running a nuclear power plant, and it relies on diesel generators for backup, and you don't have a generator installed high enough in the plant to stay above water, then shut them off at the tsunami warning and plug the intakes. When the water subsides simply start them up again. Just a thought... </div></div>
It's not that easy. Nuclear plants don't supply their own electricity. Those generators have to run immediately after losing offsite power or the the reactor will fail. When a reactor is SCRAMed (turned off) it continues to produce enormous amounts of heat, and the electricity the diesels provide is essential to run the equipment to cool the reactor core and circulate water through the spent fuel pool. Shutting down the diesels even for a few minutes would have catastrophic effects. When their diesel fuel supply was contaminated with sea water and their freshwater wells failed, they were forced to rely on using sea water to cool the entire system. This has many negative effects, such as corroding pumps and valves, clogging pipes with sediment, and eroding the casing around the fuel bundles. When they lost all power they had no way to circulate water in the spent fuel pools, that water boiled off releasing hydrogen in the process, and caused the explosions.
There were many things that went wrong in Japan that led to the radiological release, but trust me, it could have been much worse. Those engineers did a good job of taking a very bad situation and mitigating it.
Re: A lesson from Japan: Be prepared for earthquakes
Lived in Alaska for 8 1/2 years. Very active earthquake zone but it was lots of little ones. We did have a couple of larger ones but there's so much sparsely inhabited land that they usually caused little trouble. I slept through most of them we had unless they were large enough to actually rattle something on the wall.
As mentioned before, so long as you're having lots of little quakes, you're fairly well off. Means the plates are slipping along nicely. When they all of a sudden stop for a while, you better start worrying. At some point that energy is going to build up too much and BOOM, BIG EARTHQUAKE!!!!!!
Charlie
Lived in Alaska for 8 1/2 years. Very active earthquake zone but it was lots of little ones. We did have a couple of larger ones but there's so much sparsely inhabited land that they usually caused little trouble. I slept through most of them we had unless they were large enough to actually rattle something on the wall.
As mentioned before, so long as you're having lots of little quakes, you're fairly well off. Means the plates are slipping along nicely. When they all of a sudden stop for a while, you better start worrying. At some point that energy is going to build up too much and BOOM, BIG EARTHQUAKE!!!!!!
Charlie
Re: A lesson from Japan: Be prepared for earthquakes
Here's an idea.
Maybe everybody needs a better way to store spent fuel offsite!
Hmmm..
Here's an idea.
Maybe everybody needs a better way to store spent fuel offsite!
Hmmm..
