(snippet)
The wind direction may impact where the radiation goes both at a local level and even across the globe. The wind direction at both of these locations are similar since the Onagawa power plant is located just to the northeast of Fukushima power plant.
"The exact direction of the winds would have to be known at the time of the release of a large amount of radiation to understand exactly where the radiation would go," according to Expert Senior Global Meteorologist Jim Andrews.
It is unknown when a large release of radiation would occur, if at all, at this point.
"You can calculate how long the release of a radiation would take to cross the Pacific from Japan to the U.S. by choosing different speeds that the radioactive particles might be moving and using the direct distance between given locations- say Sendai, Japan, and Seattle, Wash.," Andrews added.
However, even that calculation may not reflect how long the particle would take to cross the Pacific, since it would not likely cross the ocean in a direct path. This is the case because the wind flow is often a complicated pattern.
A typical wind trajectory across the Pacific is westerly, since there is often a large dome of high pressure over the central Pacific and an area of low pressure in the Gulf of Alaska.
Any storm systems moving across the Pacific would add kinks in the westerly flow that would make the path of a particle crossing the Pacific longer.
"In other words, it would be a very intricate and difficult calculation," said Andrews.
On a local level, it is easier to break down the direction of the wind.
On Monday, the winds at the Fukushima power plant and the Onagawa power plant will generally be out of the north to northwest. So, the wind flow will still be directed offshore into the Pacific.
This would be a protective wind that would blow most of the radiation out to sea.
The wind direction will switch to an onshore direction Monday night into Tuesday, threatening to send the radiation toward the population.
"We are getting into the time of year where onshore winds occur most often," said Andrews.
This is not good news, since an onshore direction would blow most of the radiation toward populated areas. An added threat is that with higher elevations just about 4 miles inland from the power plants, if a temperature inversion sets up in the atmosphere, radiation could be trapped.
Authorities have warned residents to keep windows and doors closed and air-conditioning fans switched off to eliminate the intake of air from outside.
Calculated time for radioactive particles to cross the Pacific from the power plants in Japan to big West Coast cities if the particles take a direct path and move at a speed of 20 mph:
"The exact direction of the winds would have to be known at the time of the release of a large amount of radiation to understand exactly where the radiation would go," according to Expert Senior Global Meteorologist Jim Andrews.
It is unknown when a large release of radiation would occur, if at all, at this point.
"You can calculate how long the release of a radiation would take to cross the Pacific from Japan to the U.S. by choosing different speeds that the radioactive particles might be moving and using the direct distance between given locations- say Sendai, Japan, and Seattle, Wash.," Andrews added.
However, even that calculation may not reflect how long the particle would take to cross the Pacific, since it would not likely cross the ocean in a direct path. This is the case because the wind flow is often a complicated pattern.
A typical wind trajectory across the Pacific is westerly, since there is often a large dome of high pressure over the central Pacific and an area of low pressure in the Gulf of Alaska.
Any storm systems moving across the Pacific would add kinks in the westerly flow that would make the path of a particle crossing the Pacific longer.
"In other words, it would be a very intricate and difficult calculation," said Andrews.
On a local level, it is easier to break down the direction of the wind.
On Monday, the winds at the Fukushima power plant and the Onagawa power plant will generally be out of the north to northwest. So, the wind flow will still be directed offshore into the Pacific.
This would be a protective wind that would blow most of the radiation out to sea.
The wind direction will switch to an onshore direction Monday night into Tuesday, threatening to send the radiation toward the population.
"We are getting into the time of year where onshore winds occur most often," said Andrews.
This is not good news, since an onshore direction would blow most of the radiation toward populated areas. An added threat is that with higher elevations just about 4 miles inland from the power plants, if a temperature inversion sets up in the atmosphere, radiation could be trapped.
Authorities have warned residents to keep windows and doors closed and air-conditioning fans switched off to eliminate the intake of air from outside.
Calculated time for radioactive particles to cross the Pacific from the power plants in Japan to big West Coast cities if the particles take a direct path and move at a speed of 20 mph:
A second nuclear reactor has had an explosion this time clearly more powerful than the first explosion.
ReplyDeleteApart from the radiation currently being released into the atmosphere there is the danger of the core vessel itself exploding and explosively distributing the contents of the entire plant, parts and nuclear fuel materials over a wide area .This second explosive event looks very powerful
Or ,should there be continuing meltdown, the next big problem(china syndrome) is when the overheated material , after eating its way through the vessel and floor the hot uclear material can come into contact with the groundwater/water table .
The resulting steam pressure could also be very explosive .
The groundwater of a huge area could then be contaminated , becoming useless as drinking water from wells ,or bore water for watering agriculture for many thousands of years.The contaminated water could make its way into rivers. Basically making the contaminated area uninhabitable.
This island of Japan is heavily populated but not very big .
The Japanese people are bravely fighting to get their lives back to normality and deserve our admiration for their ability to calmly help each other and pull together .
Any workers still around these nuclear plants attempting to control the situation must now have the bravery and determination of Kamikaze pilots out to defend their country and people even at the cost of their own lives.
Americans are staring to worry about radiation getting carried to America.
ReplyDeleteThe japanese government downplays radiation risk.
BUT
AAp
TOKYO -- (03/14/11) -- The U.S. Seventh Fleet says it has moved its ships and aircraft away from a quake-stricken Japanese nuclear power plant after discovering low-level radioactive contamination.
The fleet said Monday that the radiation was from a plume of smoke and steam released from the crippled Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant. The plant has been hit by two explosions since Friday's devastating earthquake and tsunami.
The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan was about 100 miles (160 kilometers) offshore when its instruments detected the radiation. But the fleet says the dose of radiation was about the same as one month's normal exposure to natural background radiation in the environment.
The crew is said to be scrubbing the contaminated deck in the old way .
But thats a big task for brushes and mops on an aircraft carrier.
This post sort of renders the Australia Radiations Services map irrelevant/wrong, no?
ReplyDelete"Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteEA, did they ban you from Godlike Productions?
March 14, 2011 6:32 PM "
Hmm, yes these links are stealth proxied and yet still banned from Godlike productions, not sure why.