(And seismic testing for plant) Japan Tries Using Seawater to Cool Damaged Reactor

[nadinbrzezinski]

Separately, company documents show that Tokyo Electric tested the Fukushima plant to withstand a maximum seismic jolt lower than Friday's 8.9 earthquake. Tepco's last safety test of nuclear power plant Number 1—one that is currently in danger of meltdown—was done at a seismic magnitude the company considered the highest possible, but in fact turned out to be lower than Friday's quake. The information comes from the company's "Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2 Updated Safety Measures" documents written in Japanese in 2010 and 2009. The documents were reviewed by Dow Jones.

The company said in the documents that 7.9 was the highest magnitude for which they tested the safety for their No. 1 and No. 2 nuclear power plants in Fukushima.


Thousands of evacuees from areas around Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant were scanned for radiation exposure, though the Japanese government insists radiation levels are low. Video courtesy of Reuters

Simultaneous seismic activity along the three tectonic plates in the sea east of the plants—the epicenter of Friday's quake—wouldn't surpass 7.9, according to the company's presentation.

The company based its models partly on previous seismic activity in the area, including a 7.0 earthquake in May 1938 and two simultaneous earthquakes of 7.3 and 7.5 on November 5 of the same year.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703555404576195700301455480.html

Ok so the plant was not rated for a quake of THAT intensity...

Now I got to wonder about my local plants.

Oh wait, happy talk



Oh much better!

[Wilms]

1. Not those glasses.

These!

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Well those are more appropriate

:-)

And this is the show they were watching

[Abq_Sarah]

3. How do you build for something

That's never happened? How much data do we have for 8.9 earthquakes of X duration including aftershocks of Y intensity?

Well, we have some information now but it's specific to a particular location.

[Bonobo]

4. Your godzilla and rose-colored glasses are cute additions to your posts...

If you are trying to be entertaining,

I am not finding them in good taste because the image of you searching through google images to entertain is bothersome to me.

Please try to be a little more, I don't know... respectful.