- The burning tide (Image published courtesy of STR/AFP/Getty Images)
Japan has been hit by a massive earthquake registering 9.1 on the Richter scale. The earthquake produced a ten metre high Tsunami wave which swept inland causing devastation on a massive scale. Five of Japan’s nuclear facilities have declared an emergency.
The earthquake struck 80 miles off the coast of Sendai, a major city on the Japanese island of Honshu.
Japan is regarded as the best country in the world for earthquake preparation. From a young age children practice regular drills, and there are strict building codes enforced that mean most modern buildings are 'Quake proof.'
TSUNAMI
No amount of preparation can prepare a country for a Tsunami wave. The wave, which registered over ten metres high, crashed inland devastating everything in its path. As the sea water moved further in land engulfing agricultural areas it turned to a type of thick sludge.
The Tsunami was caused when the Pacific tectonic plate pushed underneath the Okhotsk plate, a geological process known as subduction. The impact was so powerful that it caused the ocean floor to bounce, thus creating a Tsunami.
Much of Northern Honshiu’s infrastructure has been severely damaged. Four of Japan’s iconic bullet trains remain unaccounted for, many highways, power lines and communication hubs have all been destroyed or critically damaged. Most disturbingly, 9’500 residents of Minamisanriku, a coastal town are unaccounted for.
- Earthquake damage near Tokyo (Free Image Wiki commons)
NUCLEAR INCIDENTS
Five nuclear plants along the coast were shut down as a precaution following earthquake warnings. The usual procedure for emergency shutdown is that a reactor uses external power generation to achieve cooling and power control systems. The diesel generators at Fukushima Dai-ichi, one of the effected power plants were affected by the tsunami failed.
Pressure inside the Fukushima I reactor was reported to be 2.1 times the design limit by midnight (JST) on March 12. Because of this, workers at the plant decided to vent steam from the reactor, which caused a swift and minor radioactive release.
Unfortunately by half past three that day pressure had built up again, causing a major steam explosion which vented more radioactive material, and destroyed much of the reactor housing. The Japanese government reports that the actual reactor core is still intact.
Two hundred thousand residents have now been evacuated and there is a 20Km total exclusion zone in operation around Fukushima.
RELIEF EFFORT
Japan’s government has put out a general request for humanitarian aid and relief. Forty five countries have offered rescue teams and equipment. The United Kingdom’s contribution at the time of writing includes 70 specially trained rescue workers, two rescue dogs, a medical support team and over ten tonnes of equipment.
The British Red Cross, in collaboration with the Japanese Red Cross, International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement have started an emergency appeal for the Japanese Tsunami. The website for donations can be found below.
(Please note this page will continue to be updated)
UPDATE: 07:21, 14/03/11
Another explosion has been reported at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant. Japanese state TV have broadcast images of smoke rising from the number 3 reactor. Japanese officials have reported the explosion was caused by a build up of hydrogen gas.
Operations continue to cool down the nuclear reactors on site with seawater.
UPDATE: 18:55, 14/03/11
Relief operations continue into the fifth day as dawn breaks in Japan. Technicians at the Fukushima nuclear plant are still battling to bring reactors under control. Further aftershocks continue to be felt sparking Tsunami warnings in the North East of Japan.
UPDATE 22:41, 15/03/11
The situation at the stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi plant has continued to deteriorate in the last 24 hours with further explosions and a fire. The total exclusion zone in the vicinity has been expanded to 30km.
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