Japan's nuclear disaster - six months on

This is just speculation but TEPCO could simply be letting the molten core burn slowly through the water table until it passes through the Earth's mantle into magma. Would its path be a weak point allowing molten magma to ooze upward? Could it lead to a volcanic eruption? Could anyone really know what would happen? Has there ever been drilling as deep as the magma layer? If so were there any volcanic incidents, or not? How fast would a molten nuclear reactor core, carried downward by gravity, descend deeper into the Earth? How deep is it now? Six meters? 60 meters? 600 meters?

@Darren Brannen: Thank you for mentioning Prof. Koide. I have been thinking the same. How interconnected is underground water throughout Japan? If the molten core penetrates the watertable radioactive substances will slowly spread over enormous distances in the water supply underground. Would it even be possible to surround the molten core, at whatever distance, not only laterally in a circle, but below its position within the water table?

Will public water over wide areas have to be filtered or treated for radioactive substances? Again, how wide an area would the worst-case scenario lead to? Yet, people could still use untreated well water to save money...

That plant is so close to the ocean. Would radiation from the molten core essentially spread into the ocean for, essentially, eternity?

Will the Japanese ever actually do all that is necessary in the handling of this disaster? Not if it means somehow losing face in the process.

Is this still the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl or is it now actually the worst?

Why does Fukushima constantly get referred to as 'the worlds worst nuclear incident since Chernobyl' when it is clearly the worlds WORST incident!

Maitake Sep. 12, 2011 - 10:37AM JST the world hasn't forgotten about the Tsunami which killed 20,000. 9/11 was a day for rememberance, sure, but I think the Tsunami and recovery from it is still very pertinent and is going to continue to be. It is an ongoing event.

That's true - there are a lot of folks around the world that are concerned about Fukushima and the recovery of the area. Not because it affects them personally but because we do care. That concern was what led me to this JT site back then.

While sharing the collective memory of the victims & their families, the double crisis unveiled the new image of the J government within & without.

God bless Japan, its beauty and greatness. Please protect the Japanese people, who are basically so very good, from their own government, other broken institutions and culture-induced failings. It is not the people's fault.

God please bring the truth to light, because the good Japanese people need to know it. Help them to prosper because of their discipline and hard work in the aftermath of 3/11/11.

Finally, please bring an end to the deployment of nuclear power. Until human-kind truly demonstrates that it understands this terrible force, man has no right to try to implement power plants and other engineering applications of nuclear power.

zichi, that is the problem - the government can only rely on Tepco to clear the mess no matter how they lie. Jgov just doesn't have other choice! In former USSR everything was clear - Gorbachov brought miners and workers, soldiers and specialists from all the republics and they couldn't say a word. Their choice was to work at Chernobil or go to Gulag (concentration camp for dissidents). Nobody in Japan can make anybody work with radiation forcefully - thus government relying on private firm.

Should be Terrorbecquerels

Its so sad that the world has already forgotten about the Japanese Tsunami whiich killed 20,000, coz they are all busy being concerned with 9/11...

don't be so extreme princess perv, the world hasn't forgotten about the Tsunami which killed 20,000. 9/11 was a day for rememberance, sure, but I think the Tsunami and recovery from it is still very pertinent and is going to continue to be. It is an ongoing event.

To the men and women fighting the monster, thank you. Reactor one is a melt-through JT.

These stories still make me so sad .. Its so sad that the world has already forgotten about the Japanese Tsunami whiich killed 20,000, coz they are all busy being concerned with 9/11...