# Large earthquake in Northeast Japan **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 11, 2011, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279 "2011-03-11T06:10:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 33
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/642 "2011-03-19T18:12:44Z")
Well that’s certainly reassuring. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/643 "2011-03-19T18:33:23Z")
I intended it to be informative, whether it’s reassuring or not depends on your viewpoint. You have several alternatives: 1. OMIGOD! OMIGOD! CONTAMINATION! 2. The authorities are tracking problems by monitoring the food supply and informing the public about milk and certain vegetables grown very close to the power plant that is having problems. Personally, I view it as a positive that the authorities ARE checking on this and passing the information to the public. As of right now, the level of contamination is not considered sufficient to endanger human health but, since they have disclosed this information, anyhow wishing to exercise an abundance of caution can simply avoid the foods most affected. And they probably will, unless the choice is true starvation. ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/644 "2011-03-19T18:41:39Z")
What a lot of ordinarily rational people don’t get, is that people suffer from fear, anxiety, and other psychological damage, especially after living through a nightmare of a disaster. To add fears of radiation, especially when people don’t trust the officials, based on their past history of not being truthful, that is real damage to people. Getting angry at scared hurt people for being anxious and afraid of possible radiation contamination of the scarce food available, that is kicking somebody when they are down. Real down. ---
**Author:** ![chromaticity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@chromaticity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chromaticity)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/645 "2011-03-19T20:34:46Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Personally, I view it as a positive that the authorities ARE checking on this and passing the information to the public. As of right now, the level of contamination is not considered sufficient to endanger human health but, since they have disclosed this information, anyhow wishing to exercise an abundance of caution can simply avoid the foods most affected. And they probably will, unless the choice is true starvation. Yes, me too. I am glad that we get such information. It kinds makes the claims that the Japanese media are “hiding” information baseless. I stopped reading the english newspapers and websites now. The British embassy and the Japanese news seem to be the few sources that I trust now. Personally apart from a few hiccups with the trains, I have not seen any reason to panic in Tokyo (The north east is another matter). The problem seems to be that people who don’t know Japanese geography assume that something happening 350km away has immediate and direct consequences in Tokyo. I suspect that the real impact will be more subtle and long term, and cannot be escaped by leaving Japan for a few days or weeks. But I can understand why people who have a family here might want to leave. It is just that I don’t think it is something I want to do. For now, everyone seems to be doing the best they can. The supermarkets are getting stocked with bread and milk again (They were never completely empty, at least in major areas). Blackouts are still there, but not in the downtown areas. I had been to Yokohama to donate some blood today, and I ate out normal as any other Saturday. Almost 60% of our office is working since last week, but we have to go home early to save power. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/646 "2011-03-19T21:03:31Z")
> [@FXMastermind](#): > > What a lot of ordinarily rational people don’t get, is that people suffer from fear, anxiety, and other psychological damage, especially after living through a nightmare of a disaster. To add fears of radiation, especially when people don’t trust the officials, based on their past history of not being truthful, that is real damage to people. > > Getting angry at scared hurt people for being anxious and afraid of possible radiation contamination of the scarce food available, that is kicking somebody when they are down. Real down. I’m not blaming the Japanese for possible over-reactions and/or fears - _it’s everybody else_ who has leapt into hysteria that I get irritated at. ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/647 "2011-03-19T21:18:55Z")
Yeah, because somebody being afraid does so much damage to the food chain. Unlike a nice safe nuclear plant that is on fire and has several partial meltdowns. What we should really worry about right now is what people might think. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/648 "2011-03-19T22:19:27Z")
> [@FXMastermind](#): > > Yeah, because somebody being afraid does so much damage to the food chain. Unlike a nice safe nuclear plant that is on fire and has several partial meltdowns. What we should really worry about right now is what people might think. You are being ridiculous. No one has posted telling anyone else that they are stupid for being afraid. However, there have been many posts correcting hysterical misinformation, which I find very appropriate in general and particularly considering the stated purpose of this message board. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/649 "2011-03-20T00:26:18Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I clicked the link to the story about the TEPCO official weeping as he admitted the radiation levels were much higher than previously revealed, only to find the Daily Mail is carrying lots of stories the AP isn’t even touching. Unfortunately that is the Daily Fail. The headline did say that “radiation leak is serious enough to kill people”. Several reasons why I wonder if there has not been spin in that headline: The evacuations and warnings did take into consideration the risks, most reports have mentioned the radiation levels that can be found, then we have that the apology was in relation to the delay on information regarding the Hydrogen explosions. Then the lack of independent sources reporting this the same way. And that takes us then to point out that misleading headlines are the standard procedure of the Daily Mail: [http://climatecrocks.com/2010/03/15/flogging-the-scientists/](http://climatecrocks.com/2010/03/15/flogging-the-scientists/) > [@](#): > > For instance, the UK Daily Mail is a source deniers rely on for information. Did you see the story about the Chinese Goat woman? [The goat woman: Chinese grandmother, 101, grows mystery horn on forehead] That was awesome. See? The headline and picture tell you all you need to know. > > Another awesome headline was, “ClimateGate U-turn as scientist at center of row admits: There has been no global warming since 1995“. Within hours of the headline’s appearance, verbatim transcriptions began turning up on climate denial sites all over the internet. The story concerns Phil Jones, the lead scientist at the University of East Anglia, a major center for climate science. > > There’s only one thing wrong with the article. According to the conservative Economist magazine [Journalistic malpractice on global warming], it’s a complete fabrication, an out-and-out lie, which makes it the ideal climate denial story. > > The Daily Mail story was based on an interview published by the BBC [Q&A: Professor Phil Jones] - which most denialists know nothing of, and certainly have not read. But, as always, we’ll read it here. > > ``` > Question: How confident are you that warming has taken place and that humans are mainly responsible? > > Answer: I am 100% confident that climate has warmed. … There is evidence that most of the warming since the 1950s is due to human activity. > > Question: If you agree that there were similar periods of warming since 1850, and the medieval warming period is under debate, what factors convince you that recent warming has been largely man made? > > Answer: The fact that we can’t explain the warming since the 1950s with solar or volcanic forcing. > > Question: Would it be reasonable looking at the same scientific evidence to take the view that recent warming is not predominantly man made? > > Answer: No > > ``` And then one should check the statements made on the recent conference that produced that Daily Mail quote: > **[TEPCO : Press Release | Stationing Vice President at Fukushima City and...](https://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/11031806-e.html)** > [@](#): > > We would like to express our great regret at the loss of people by the > Tohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyo-Oki Earthquake occurred on March 11, and our deep > sympathy to the people and their families suffering damage. > > Besides, we would like to make our deep apologies for concern and nuisance > about the incident of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station and the > leakage of radioactive substances to the people living in the surrounding > area of the power station, the people of Fukushima Prefecture, and the > people of society. Indeed no mention of the “radiation leak is serious enough to kill people” So my guess was correct, it was mostly an apology that Japanese custom demands that has been turned by the Daily Mail into misleading alarmism. > **[Australian News Headlines | Yahoo News Australia](https://au.news.yahoo.com/)** > > Breaking news and stories that really matter to Australians. From cost of living and politics, to weather and the environment - get all the latest updates. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/650 "2011-03-20T00:28:49Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > You are being ridiculous. No one has posted telling anyone else that they are stupid for being afraid. However, there have been many posts correcting hysterical misinformation, which I find very appropriate in general and particularly considering the stated purpose of this message board. It was a level 5 nuclear event almost from the start and authorities are sticking to the 20 km zone. They have not had control of the situation for a week. There was most certainly people in government sticking their heads in the sand regarding the state of the power plants. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/651 "2011-03-20T03:21:36Z")
I wonder if the close proximity of the moon has anything to do with the plates shifting? ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/652 "2011-03-20T03:24:53Z")
Experts have said it’s all coincidence. Of course they don’t know that, but they said it. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/653 "2011-03-20T03:28:04Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I wonder if the close proximity of the moon has anything to do with the plates shifting? The moon is at perigee once every 28 days. It would be pretty easy to notice any correlation between perigee and earthquakes. The coincidence of perigee and the full moon would have no additional earthquake significance. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/654 "2011-03-20T03:43:09Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > The moon is at perigee once every 28 days. It would be pretty easy to notice any correlation between perigee and earthquakes. The coincidence of perigee and the full moon would have no additional earthquake significance. [From Space.com](http://www.space.com/11163-supermoon-biggest-full-moon-2011.html): "Thanks to a fluke of orbital mechanics that brings the moon closer to Earth than that it has been in more than 18 years, the biggest full moon of 2011 will occur on Saturday, leading some observers to dub it a “supermoon.” “the near coincidence of Saturday’s full moon with perigee will result in a dramatically large range of high and low ocean tides”. ---
**Author:** ![Sakuma\_Drops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sakuma\_Drops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sakuma_Drops)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/655 "2011-03-20T03:58:42Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > [From Space.com](http://www.space.com/11163-supermoon-biggest-full-moon-2011.html): > > "Thanks to a fluke of orbital mechanics that brings the moon closer to Earth than that it has been in more than 18 years, the biggest full moon of 2011 will occur on Saturday, leading some observers to dub it a “supermoon.” > > “the near coincidence of Saturday’s full moon with perigee will result in a dramatically large range of high and low ocean tides”. Interestingly enough, in [this article](http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/supermoon-did-not-trigger-japan-earthquake-1451/) linked from the [Space.com](http://Space.com) article you posted, a USGS scientist stresses that the so-called “supermoon” and the Japan quake were in all likelihood NOT related. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/656 "2011-03-20T04:39:32Z")
> [@Sakuma\_Drops](#): > > Interestingly enough, in [this article](http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/supermoon-did-not-trigger-japan-earthquake-1451/) linked from the [Space.com](http://Space.com) article you posted, a USGS scientist stresses that the so-called “supermoon” and the Japan quake were in all likelihood NOT related. Actually is says there is a correlation but not in this case because it peaked on the 18th. So question answered. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/657 "2011-03-20T04:42:50Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I wonder if the close proximity of the moon has anything to do with the plates shifting? I’m sorry, but there’s only one possible response to a statement like this: **WE MUST BLOW UP THE MOON!** 😃 In other news, got linked to this chart made by Randall Munroe, a mathematician of some fame: [Radiation Dose Chart](http://xkcd.com/radiation/) ---
**Author:** ![Sakuma\_Drops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sakuma\_Drops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sakuma_Drops)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/658 "2011-03-20T05:08:32Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Actually is says there is a correlation but not in this case because it peaked on the 18th. So question answered. The Japan quake was _doubly_ non-correlated since not only did it not occur at perigee, but it also occurred at the quarter moon when tidal forces are weakest. Tidal forces probably have more influence on seismic activity than instances of perigee, but even then I don’t think it usually takes just one high tide to cause an earthquake. It’s probably more like unfolding a paper clip and bending it back and forth until it breaks, i.e. an influence that occurs over many lunar cycles. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/659 "2011-03-20T09:02:25Z")
[ > [@](#): > > Responding to the ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan, officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission sought Thursday to reassure nervous Americans that U.S. reactors were 100 percent safe and posed absolutely no threat to the public health as long as no unforeseeable system failure or sudden accident were to occur. ]([http://www.theonion.com/articles/nuclear-energy-advocates-insist-us-reactors-comple,19740/](http://www.theonion.com/articles/nuclear-energy-advocates-insist-us-reactors-comple,19740/)) Offered without comment; just providing information, eh. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/660 "2011-03-20T09:06:09Z")
i’ll bite. typical political comment isn’t it? 50 words saying nothing. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/661 "2011-03-20T10:02:25Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > I came across this article, written in 2005, which is especially poignant to read now: > > [The wall that Taro-cho built](http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+wall+that+Taro-cho+built.-a0138025696). That is impossibly tragic. [Here’s](http://www.flickr.com/photos/anaguma/426953746/) a picture of the wall, and linked from that page is a video of [what’s left of Taro](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UdwOprOOhw). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279.md?page=32) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279.md?page=34)