What will happen if the China Syndrome comes true.

[Fledermaus]

The molten core burning its way down to the water table.

I hope there is enough sand under there. It has to mix with the corium to thicken and solidify it. Thats what happened at Chernobyl.

[ChicagoRonin]

1. Worst case scenario . . .

- 800 square mile area of Japan rendered lethally radioactive for decades
- Inability to make repairs or rebuild in radioactive area creating a vast wasteland of dilapidated buildings
- Severely reduced food production
- Severely impaired distribution of goods and services
- Economic chaos in Japan
- Severe humanitarian crisis involving displaced persons; possible refugee crisis if many leave to other countries
- Social instability (anger at central government, fighting over resources, etc.)
- Multiple radioactive plumes floating across the Pacific
- Japan rendered an international pariah for its inability to deal effectively with the crisis

(I should really sign off now; my imagination is depressing me)

[NoTimeToulouse]

3. Not decades. Much longer.

[Fledermaus]

4. Is that from the movie or for real?

[NoTimeToulouse]

2. Since the reactor is close to the ocean the water table probably is pretty high.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

5. It wouldn't be the China Syndrome

The China Syndrome refers to a U.S. reactor melting down and going all the way through the earth to China. In this case, a melt down in Japan would end up just off the coast of Brazil, ergo it should be called (...wait for it...) the Rio Syndrome!

[joshcryer]

6. Read this from a super pro-nuke guy (it's really bad):

http://blogs.knoxnews.com/munger/2011/03/ex-sandia-engineer-talks-about.html

Let's all hope that it doesn't happen. It's bad. Very bad. Best wishes to the plant workers as the only thing between full on disaster and a bad clean up job with no significant loss of life is them.

[kristopher]

7. +1

Thank you. He is the most authoritative voice I've encountered yet.