Terrible scenes out there. The Japanese do seem to be very well prepared for earthquakes yet there are deaths and will be more. Thoughts go out to them.
The operator of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant reported an abnormality Friday following a powerful earthquake which hit a wide area in northeastern Japan including Fukushima Prefecture, the industry ministry said.
The system to cool reactor cores in case of emergency stopped at the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors of the plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co., it said.
There are reports that the Japanese PM will declare a nuclear emergency.
[cite]Posted By: JT[/cite]It's literally every few weeks there is a major disaster.
Just been discussing this in work. Wonder if these are:
1. actually becoming more common
2. seem that way because of the increase in reporting capabilities
3. having more devastating impact as the world is becoming more built up.
Geologists have known this would happen for years. Sooner or later there is bound to be major fault activity in the Japan area - it sits right on the edge of two major tectonic plates. In fact, the entire landmass is formed as a result of one plate pushing up against the other. Probably not the time to say it with perhaps hundreds of people dead, but plate tectonics is a fascinating area of study for Geologists.
Hoping as many people in Japan are safe as possible. I have friends in Kobe which - luckily - appears not to have been affected - I still remember the hellish wait for news from them when the quake struck there a few years back.
[cite]Posted By: JT[/cite]It's literally every few weeks there is a major disaster.
Just been discussing this in work. Wonder if these are:
1. actually becoming more common
2. seem that way because of the increase in reporting capabilities
3. having more devastating impact as the world is becoming more built up.
Some of the footage is absolutely terrifying
On BBC today they said the Christchurch earthquake was the kind of earthquake that happens every 3 days somewhere in the world. Most of them happen where no one's affected, but that one happened to be in a city, so was far more devastating.
Today's earthquake is different. This one is massive, the 6th strongest ever recorded in the last 111 years, and the biggest earthquake recorded in Japan.
I think the answer to your question is number 2.
I hope the effects of this quake are not too devastating. Japan is relatively well-protected against earthquakes and tsunamis, but Philippines, Indonesia, the Pacific Islands and even America are all threatened by the after-effects. The first I heard of it was my friend in Tokyo saying on Facebook that she's OK.
[cite]Posted By: IA[/cite][ Japan is relatively well-protected against earthquakes and tsunamis, but Philippines, Indonesia, the Pacific Islands and even America are all threatened by the after-effects
I have a good friend in the Philippines who is very worried, they are nowhere near prepared for anything like this.
Prepared? Did you see the footage today? A helicopter was following the tsunami, which looked like a bath being filled with water and it approached a road where cars were driving about as if it was a normal day. Horrifying scenes followed.
Scary stuff, just seen all the videos from the bbc website. The people trying to drive away from it and seeing peoples homes being swept away (whilst on fire) got me the most.
The only way to deal with one of these is a mass evacuation days before. There's no way to a low rise building can take the impact of it or a vehicle can drive faster than it.
[cite]Posted By: Jayajosh[/cite]Girl at work who is 28 has just asked me, what is a Sunami, is it water or something? FFS!
took me about 7 hours to realise my mum and dad are on a boat sailing around the region (hong kong, singapore, vietnam etc).
just spoke to P&O and in contact with the ship and been unaffected, thank god. Looking at the map and a few days earlier i reckon it would have been rocking all over the place.
Just woke up here in Mexico to be told we're on a Tsunami alert... on a beach at a chilled surf town. Most people are either sparking up a joint or waxing their surf boards... all very surreal.
Comments
The operator of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant reported an abnormality Friday following a powerful earthquake which hit a wide area in northeastern Japan including Fukushima Prefecture, the industry ministry said.
The system to cool reactor cores in case of emergency stopped at the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors of the plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co., it said.
There are reports that the Japanese PM will declare a nuclear emergency.
However the Earth has had earthquake, floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters for millions of years. This isn't, unfortunately, anything new.
Just been discussing this in work. Wonder if these are:
1. actually becoming more common
2. seem that way because of the increase in reporting capabilities
3. having more devastating impact as the world is becoming more built up.
Some of the footage is absolutely terrifying
May God be with these people.
Hoping as many people in Japan are safe as possible. I have friends in Kobe which - luckily - appears not to have been affected - I still remember the hellish wait for news from them when the quake struck there a few years back.
On BBC today they said the Christchurch earthquake was the kind of earthquake that happens every 3 days somewhere in the world. Most of them happen where no one's affected, but that one happened to be in a city, so was far more devastating.
Today's earthquake is different. This one is massive, the 6th strongest ever recorded in the last 111 years, and the biggest earthquake recorded in Japan.
I think the answer to your question is number 2.
I hope the effects of this quake are not too devastating. Japan is relatively well-protected against earthquakes and tsunamis, but Philippines, Indonesia, the Pacific Islands and even America are all threatened by the after-effects. The first I heard of it was my friend in Tokyo saying on Facebook that she's OK.
I have a good friend in the Philippines who is very worried, they are nowhere near prepared for anything like this.
1000 times as strong as the NZ earthquake an expert said on the news this morning. So sad.
Have you finished doing her filing yet? ;-)
He said the worst thing is there's absolutely nothing you can do. And supposedly it's safer to stay inside.
He's just had his first beer in 3 weeks.
Terrible scenes. All thoughts with the people of Japan and any others cruelly affected by this disaster.
just spoke to P&O and in contact with the ship and been unaffected, thank god. Looking at the map and a few days earlier i reckon it would have been rocking all over the place.
Heart goes out to all those affected.
Times like this we should all give thanks for living in "boring" old England.
One of the very few countries on Earth that has no severe threat of natural disaster in current times.