Radiation is escaping from the Fukushima nuclear power plant after multiple explosions at the site.
A widely distributed graphic, attributed to Australian Radiation Services and purporting to show fallout patterns, is confirmed to be a hoax. A map from ZAMG in Vienna models the plume.
This post has been updated Friday, March 18 2011 at 3:00 pm to add the ZAMG info, which is on its own page.
News sources
Wikipedia: Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant; Fukushima I nuclear accidents.
BBC: Massive explosion at Japan nuclear power plant. With video, terrifying, of the Fukushima I plant blowing up. BBC News live report: 0227: There were two explosions at Reactor 3, the operator Tepco says - AFP.
Los Angeles Times: Damage at two Japan nuclear plants prompts evacuations; Japanese engineers work to contain nuclear reactor damage.
ABC, Australia: Explosion at quake-hit nuclear plant.
Tokyo Electric Power Company: Hourly news briefs from the power company that operates the plant, written in precise, careful English. From the 3/12/11 1pm update:
We are implementing a measure to reduce the pressure of the reactor containment vessels, but, one of our employees working in the Unit 1 was irradiated at over 100mSv level(106.3mSv). Because of absence of industrial physician, so he will be diagnosed at a later day.
We measured radioactive materials inside of the nuclear power station area (outdoor) by monitoring car and confirmed that radioactive materials level is higher than ordinary level. Also, the level at monitoring post is higher than ordinary level.
Video
Still is from live coverage from NHK of #3 reactor explosion.
福島第一原発 爆発の瞬間 Explosion at Fukushima nuclear plant, unit 1
City maps
A city map, in English, from Fukushima City; use the mirror copy since the municipal site is overloaded.
Monitoring chart
Original source: http://www.tepco.co.jp/fukushima2-np/monitoring/images/mp1.gif I am unable to determine precisely what the graph measures, but the metric is in "nanogreys per hour", a measure of radiation dose. The spike is associated with the first of the two explosions.
Evacuation zones
Evacuation zones, based on post collected by EMN, showing a 10km zone around both plants. I'm not quite sure who TMN is, and I don't read the Japanese. The zones have since been expanded.
Weather maps
A wind map for Japan, from Windfinder.com, collected 3/12/11.
A second wind map from the same source, collected just after the explosion at unit 3.
Road maps
Kisei map, Fukushima traffic regulation. There is an interactive map showing the damage to roads in detail.
Edward Vielmetti has been writing the Vacuum weblog since 1999. He reported on the Kobe earthquake in 1995. Maps are provided with the help of the Harvard Center for Geographic Analysis Japan Sendai Earthquake Data Portal. Contact him at edward.vielmetti@gmail.com.
