Thanks for that update, Ginger. As always, your ability to assess and synthesize all that information is incredibly valuable.
Can you comment on this quote from the LA Times?
The good news is that the reactors should be undergoing a certain amount of cooling on their own. When an operating reactor is shut down, it continues to produce a large amount of heat, known as decay heat. Within the first week after a shutdown, that decay heat declines by about 50%, experts said, so that the reactors require less external cooling.
How much longer do they have to maintain this holding action before things start to cool down on their own?
One of the things that makes following this confusing is that a number of news sources seem to be reporting things that happened yesterday as things that just happened.
Yes, this. It is so frustrating. And then, there are things that do recur, like the second fire in #4. I was convinced for a while that I was just seeing old reports cycled as new, but no.
Thanks once again, Ginger.
seem to be reporting things that happened yesterday as things that just happened.
Yes, this. It is so frustrating.
When I noticed this, I got a nasty feeling that some of the reporters picking up stories from the feeds were a little confused about the international dateline. I decided I was being a brat, and just let it go. But I keep seeing OMGToday! headlines for things that I know (from Twitter folks in Japan) happened yesterday... and I'm starting to wonder again if reporters here are actually that confuddled about what day today is in Japan.
For awhile it seemed like the news kept bouncing between "things are slowly getting under control" to OMG! FIRE!.
I'm starting to wonder again if reporters here are actually that confuddled about what day today is in Japan.
From the timing of some things, I think that's frequently what's happening. I guess it's no wonder they can't understand radiation, if they can't understand that Wednesday in Japan is not Wednesday in New York.
Hec, the fuel does cool down considerably, so while it will still need to be covered with water, it won't be boiling off nearly so fast and steam pressure will be less of a consideration.
I would like to take a moment out from my morose mental state to note that Monday night I saw Saturn for the first time with my awesome telescope. Rings as clear as anything. Ridic.
Wow. That is awesome, Liese.
Loyal Brittney refuses to leave English Setter friend.
