Magnitude 9 earthquake hits Japan - Page 3

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #41 12-03-2011, 06:07 PM

Among the many thousands of buildings (and probably people too), a whole passenger train full of people has vanished off the face of the Earth!

Watching the footage on TV you can see houses, boats, cars, etc being carried away by water, but how do you hide a whole passenger train?
I think we will be hearing a lot of strange stories as reporters get closer to Sendai.

Only a few pics have escaped from the Sendai area, and reporters are finding it hard to get into the area as all Highways are shut.

Video from 100 k's from Sendai are bad enough.

But a whole Train?

renormalised (Carl) · #42 12-03-2011, 06:14 PM

That would be nothing unusual....trains, especially modern ones, are rather flimsy. They're basically aluminium cans on wheels. A tsunami would literally tear a train apart. If it hit with any sort of force, especially carrying all that debris, there'd be very little left of the train to find.

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #43 12-03-2011, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by renormalised

That would be nothing unusual....trains, especially modern ones, are rather flimsy. They're basically aluminium cans on wheels. A tsunami would literally tear a train apart. If it hit with any sort of force, especially carrying all that debris, there'd be very little left of the train to find.

Good point. Thanks Carl.

gary · #44 12-03-2011, 09:15 PM

The Fukushima No. 1 nuclear reactor has apparently exploded and there is
now a real fear that the fuel rods may be exposed and that a melt down could occur.

Story in Sydney Morning Herald here -
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/bl...312-1brv1.html

Ric · #45 13-03-2011, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gary

The Fukushima No. 1 nuclear reactor has apparently exploded and there is
now a real fear that the fuel rods may be exposed and that a melt down could occur.

Story in Sydney Morning Herald here -
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/bl...312-1brv1.html

That's a real worry

rcheshire (Rowland) · #46 13-03-2011, 01:39 PM

Several friends and colleagues living in the low lying areas with young families. Bears no resemblance to the Sendai I knew. Flattened. Imagine the CBD is fairly intact though. The housing density is high in the coastal areas, and there appears to be very little standing. I know how long it takes to get to high ground and how much traffic there is on a normal day. Clearly from the footage there were a few who took no heed of the Tsunami siren - a familiar sound after an earthquake. We lived through a few - quite an experience - I think the biggest was 7.4 at the origin (some 40km seaward and 20km below the surface) - 6.5 in Sendai. I fear the worse for some people I know.

gary · #47 13-03-2011, 03:44 PM

World Nuclear News has a report entitled "Battle to stabilize earthquake reactors".
See http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS...s_1203111.html

They report -

Quote:

Originally Posted by World Nuclear News

Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1
* Automatically shut down
* Water level decreasing
* Pressure release implemented
* Explosion observed
* Containment believed intact
* Seawater injection has started
* Radiation levels did not rise after explosion

In a separate article, World Nuclear News report that Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco)

Quote:

"has not been able to restart unit 3's high pressure injection system after an automatic stop. This has left the reactor without sufficient coolant and obligated Tepco to notify government of an emergency situation."

See http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS...3_1303111.html

BBC Environment correspondent, Richard Black, has this story entitled -
"Problems for second Japan reactor".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12723092

Spare a thought for the workers at the front line involved in trying to stabilize
the reactors. At least one has been killed, two more missing and several others
injured.

CraigS · #48 13-03-2011, 03:51 PM

Thanks for the update Gary .. scary stuff ..

Take a look at this .. an aerial view of the tsunami moving inland, taking with it buildings on fire .. and everything … it just goes on and on and on !!!

Just horrendous !!

Rgds

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #49 13-03-2011, 04:29 PM

They just announced on CNN that the Japanese Earthquake has shifted the Earths rotational angle of axis by 10 cm

That's something I would like 'officially' authenticated before I believe it, rather than take CNN's word for it.

That's pretty major!

DavidU (Dave) · #50 13-03-2011, 04:40 PM

I have been emailing a friend in the Ibaraki prefecture today, he says it's a mess, no money and no job. His home was damaged.
I don't know how Japan can get over this one.

gary · #51 13-03-2011, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcheshire

We lived through a few - quite an experience - I think the biggest was 7.4 at the origin (some 40km seaward and 20km below the surface) - 6.5 in Sendai. I fear the worse for some people I know.

Hi Rowland,

We can only hope that your friends and their families who were in Sendai
are OK. Please let us all know when you get word.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CraigS

Take a look at this .. an aerial view of the tsunami moving inland, taking with it buildings on fire .. and everything … it just goes on and on and on !!!

The scale is staggering!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

They just announced on CNN that the Japanese Earthquake has shifted the Earths rotational angle of axis by 10 cm

That's something I would like 'officially' authenticated before I believe it, rather than take CNN's word for it.

Hi Ken,

A similar phenomena was reported during the large Chilean earthquake last year.
See IceInSpace thread here -
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=57763

One of the major observatories for measuring these types of shifts, named TIGO, happens
to be located in Chile and was ironically damaged in the Chilean earthquake.
See this IceInSpace thread -
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=57771

So an authoritative reference for the CNN report might pop up soon that can
verify the magnitude of the shift. Incredible to think about.

DavidU (Dave) · #52 13-03-2011, 04:49 PM

Some heavy weight scientists are confirming it.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...tory?track=rss

renormalised (Carl) · #53 13-03-2011, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CraigS

Thanks for the update Gary .. scary stuff ..

Take a look at this .. an aerial view of the tsunami moving inland, taking with it buildings on fire .. and everything … it just goes on and on and on !!!

Just horrendous !!

Rgds

Yes, very bad....but in the scheme of things it was just an average sized tsunami....10-30 feet high. It could've been much worse, especially if the quake had occurred closer to the face of the trench. If the face of the trench along the rupture had sloughed off, the wave could've been 100-300 metres high (the rupture was 500km long) on the coast there. There'd be nothing left of that part of Japan.

DavidU (Dave) · #54 13-03-2011, 04:56 PM

Here is a hi-res picture gallery, scary stuff.
http://framework.latimes.com/2011/03...-in-japan/#/45

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #55 13-03-2011, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidU

Some heavy weight scientists are confirming it.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...tory?track=rss

Thanks Davo and Gary

renormalised (Carl) · #56 13-03-2011, 04:59 PM

That shift in the axis would have to be confirmed, but it would be nothing out of the ordinary for a quake of this size. Large quakes (7 or greater) regularly speed up or slow down the rotation of the planet and very large ones can change the axial tilt. In actual fact, the planet rings like a bell when one of these large quakes happens.

gary · #57 13-03-2011, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidU

Some heavy weight scientists are confirming it.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...tory?track=rss

Hi Dave,

Thanks to the link to the LA Times article.

Sorry to hear of the plight of your friend. I hope he gets back on his feet soon.

Quote:

I don't know how Japan can get over this one.

Not to detract from the terrible plight for all those involved, the stoic and resourceful Japanese have this amazing
ability to take setbacks in their stride and to rebuild. Though the personal losses for some will last a lifetime.

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #58 13-03-2011, 05:02 PM

A new Tsunami alert has been given, so those folks searching for lost family and friends amongst the rubble have had to run for higher ground again.

This is going to be a loooong event.

CraigS · #59 13-03-2011, 05:10 PM

Don't know about the axis shift, but they're also calculating that the Earth's rotation speed has sped up by 1.6 microseconds .. slightly more than that caused by last year's Chile earthquake. Sumatra's 2004 quake caused a 6.8 microsecond shortening of the day !

Cheers

MrB (Simon) · #60 13-03-2011, 08:40 PM

Edit: Japan Meteorological Agency has upgraded the magnitude to 9.0

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidU

Here is a hi-res picture gallery, scary stuff.
http://framework.latimes.com/2011/03...-in-japan/#/45

Next photo on from your link..
The ground split and then slumped, exactly along the centre-line of the road... amazing.