Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
First, the gaps in the information regarding the post-
Fukushima radiation will be looked at; then, the production
of radiation data will be analyzed. Once they were put
together and published, how were the maps used? And what
role did the public play in creating them?
5.1. The challenges in accessing information
In the days following the accident, neither the citizens nor
the official bodies were able to provide information about the
development of the situation. As a response to the
institutions' attempt to keep information in a closed circuit,
many citizens rallied to obtain and map radiation data.
5.1.1.
Timeline of the events
On Friday 11 March 2011 at 14:46 JST, an earthquake of
magnitude 9.0 took place on the northern coast of the
Honshu Island, Japan. This event was followed by a tsunami
30 minutes later which struck the north-east of the country,
where the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear station, managed by
the company TEPCO, is situated. As a result, the emergency
cooling system in the nuclear reactors broke down and failed
to stabilize the temperature. The reactors started heating
up, which resulted in the nuclear fusion of the core. The day
after, attempts were made to release the pressure in the
reactors and water was thrown into the central chimneys.
However, the concentration of hydrogen rapidly escalated
beyond control and made reactor no. 1 explode on March 12,
followed by reactors no. 3 on March 14 and no. 2 on March
15
3
. Nuclear radiation spreads directly into the air and into
the water used to cool the reactors, but also with each
pressure release and uncontrolled leakage.
3 www.nature.com/news/specials/japanquake/index.html.
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