Japan Earthquake

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 11 Mar 2011, 08:31

Another shock in a stressed system.

Japan's 'Lost Decade' started with the Kobe earthquake.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/ The film of the tsunami washing houses away is about as horrific as it comes.

nexus · Post by **nexus** » 11 Mar 2011, 08:40

Yup, those were my first thoughts too. Along with hoping the human cost is as low as can be expected in the circumstances.

UndercoverElephant · Post by **UndercoverElephant** » 11 Mar 2011, 10:18

There is also an oil refinery on fire....

Post by **clv101** » 11 Mar 2011, 11:27

Link

PS_RalphW · Post by **PS_RalphW** » 11 Mar 2011, 11:33

Today is a good day to bury bad news.

I notice that the live feeds at BBC and Guardian on Libya have been dropped in favour of the quake.

We have such short attention spans. I fear Gadaffi will quietly drop out of the news in the next week or two.

We can only focus on one disaster at a time.

BBC is reporting the cooling system has failed at a nuclear plant.
Emergency declared.

Could this be a meltdown?

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 11 Mar 2011, 11:36

clv101 wrote: Link

The 03/11/2011 earthquake (preliminary magnitude 8.9) near the east coast of Honshu, Japan, occurred as a result of thrust faulting on or near the subduction zone interface plate boundary between the Pacific and North America plates. At the latitude of this earthquake, the Pacific plate moves approximately westwards with respect to the North America plate at a velocity of 83 mm/yr. The Pacific plate thrusts underneath Japan at the Japan Trench, and dips to the west beneath Eurasia.

Unless Japan has recently moved to North America I think they mean Eurasian Plate?

Post by **clv101** » 11 Mar 2011, 11:41

biffvernon wrote:
clv101 wrote: Link

The 03/11/2011 earthquake (preliminary magnitude 8.9) near the east coast of Honshu, Japan, occurred as a result of thrust faulting on or near the subduction zone interface plate boundary between the Pacific and North America plates. At the latitude of this earthquake, the Pacific plate moves approximately westwards with respect to the North America plate at a velocity of 83 mm/yr. The Pacific plate thrusts underneath Japan at the Japan Trench, and dips to the west beneath Eurasia.
Unless Japan has recently moved to North America I think they mean Eurasian Plate?

No, USGS are right. Believe it or not, that bit of Japan sits on the North American plate.

Post by **clv101** » 11 Mar 2011, 11:56

Yeah, Fukushima has six reactors online (two more under construction). It's the number 1 reactor that has the cooling problem, this is also the oldest coming online in 1971.

PS_RalphW · Post by **PS_RalphW** » 11 Mar 2011, 12:40

assessment of the quake on Japanese energy markets.

http://af.reuters.com/article/metalsNew ... WK20110311

Refineries shut down, at least one on fire. That will cut demand for crude oil. Nuclear plants donw, leading to more demand for fuel oil.

Coal stations on the coast have seen their coal stockpiles washed away by the tsunami.

Electricity supply is going to be difficult until this settles down. Not good for the Japanese economy...

Ippoippo · Post by **Ippoippo** » 11 Mar 2011, 12:48

This really was a big one. Eventually managed to get in contact with family in the outskirts of Tokyo.

Not worried about earthquakes/tsunami there at the moment... it's that reactor up in Fukushima that worries me (that said, Fukushima is a fair distance away, about two hours by 'Shinkansen' bullet train)

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 11 Mar 2011, 14:00

I hereby rename the North America Plate the North America with-a pointy-bit-the-goes-all-the-way-to-Japan Plate.

Thanks Chris

PS_RalphW · Post by **PS_RalphW** » 11 Mar 2011, 14:13

Explosion at a second refinery.

Hundreds reported drowned in the Tsunami near the epicentre.
Given they had less than 10 minutes between the quake and the wave, I think you can add one or two zeros to that.

Reports of missing passenger boat and an entire train.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 11 Mar 2011, 14:19

The number of big aftershocks is unprecedented:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/ ... 145_40.php

PS_RalphW · Post by **PS_RalphW** » 11 Mar 2011, 15:52

One report of 88,000 unaccounted for.

Given that the seaside town nearest the quake had 74,000 residents, I would not be surprised.

Massive fires burning in residential area.

MrG · Post by **MrG** » 11 Mar 2011, 15:59

RalphW wrote:This is a big news day, so much going wrong...

You can say that again!