Japan: More & Larger Volcanic Eruptions Expected Over Next Decades – A Ticking Nuclear Time Bomb

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dangers of nuclear energy, Fujii Toshitsugu, Fukushima, Japan, Japan earthquake, Mt. Fuji, nuclear energy, nuclear reactors, Nuclear Time Bomb, Nuclear Volcanos, Oma, Sendai, Toshitsugu Fujii, Volcanos

108 of Japan’s volcanos. There are 110 active ones.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_volcanoes_in_Japan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_Japan

Japan is in the Ring of Fire, the most seismically and volcanically active zone in the world. http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/tectonics.html

It takes time to shutdown reactors or remove fuel. There is inadequate warning time for both earthquakes and volcanos – often none.

On Friday, Volcanologist and Professor Emeritus of Tokyo U., Toshitsugu Fujii warned the world that “Earthquakes of magnitude 9.0 or greater around the world have led to repeated volcanic eruptions in the last 50 years, sometimes within days,…”

See: “Japan’s volcanoes made more jittery by 2011 quake, expert says Posted:Fri, 17 Oct 2014 15:51:06 GMT
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s massive 2011 earthquake may trigger more, and larger, volcanic eruptions over the next few decades, perhaps even that of Mount Fuji – but predicting them remains close to impossible, a volcano expert said on Friday.” http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/environment/~3/TFXtT3ae2H0/story01.htm
(Dr. Fujii is an expert on Mt. Fuji.)

According to the Reuters article, Ontake was thought dormant until it erupted in 1979, had done nothing since a minor eruption seven years ago, and although it had small quakes, there were no signs allowing prediction of its recent eruption. While Japan monitors 47 of its 110 active volcanoes 24/7, the budget has proven inadequate for research and equipment, critics say, according to the article.

[Mining Awareness note: Don’t walk on volcanoes, unless you think it’s your preferred way of dying, as it is for some volcanologists! Certainly don’t put nuclear power plants nearby!]

This morning, the Austrian newspaper Krone had a wonderfully titled article “Japanese Nuclear Reactor as Ticking Time Bomb” (apparently referring to Sendai), because it is “too near to a volcano”. Nonetheless, it appears that all Japanese reactors are ticking time bombs, considering earthquakes and volcanos. Krone cites Toshitsugu Fujii as saying that one can predict volcanic eruptions hours or days in advance, at most, but not decades in advance. He points to the totally unexpected eruption of Ontake volcano in central Japan on September 27, as confirmation and food for thought. He warns about pyroclastic flows, which can spread over more than 100 kilometers and could even affect Tokyo. The Sendai nuclear reactors are, however, just about 40 kilometers from the volcano. With volcanic outbreaks and ash fall the plant could be cut off from the outside world. Nuclear operator Kyushu Electric Power Co. has promised to install a monitoring system that detects all critical volcanic activity. While a disaster such as Fukushima should statistically be seen only every 10,000 years, according to Fujii, that is no guarantee. He adds that scientifically, the reactors in Sendai are not sure. If they are put into operation again, it will happen only for political reasons, it must be said in all honesty. See entire article in German: “Japanisches Atomkraftwerk als tickende Zeitbombe: Zu nah an Vulkan“, 19.10.2014, 06:02 http://www.krone. at/Welt/Japanisches_Atomkraftwerk_als_tickende_Zeitbombe-Zu_nah_an_Vulkan-Story-423753

Several Nuclear Reactors, including Sendai, with the Volcanos

Sendai in closer with volcanos

Ikata NPP with Volcanos

New Nuclear Power Station under construction at Oma with volcanos

THESE ARE ONLY EXAMPLES. AS CAN BE SEEN ON THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT MAP THERE ARE MANY NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS, AND EACH STATION USUALLY HAS MULTIPLE REACTORS.

Recent 4.3 Quake near Fukushima

About Dr. Fujii Toshitsugu:
“Born (Fujii Toshitsugu) 1946 年 Fujii Toshitsugu. University of Tokyo Faculty of Science; University of Tokyo Graduate School of Science doctoral graduates (Ph.D.) Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo professor, and the director, and Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo now. Environmental Disaster of Policy Research Institute executive director from 2011. Japan Meteorological Agency Coordinating Committee for Prediction of Volcanic Eruptions chairman from ’03. The contents of the conformity assessment draft by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission toward a re-run Sendai nuclear power plant (Kagoshima Satsuma Sendai City), refers to the go-ahead of the de facto voice of the questions raised from the experts of Volcanology there.” See Japanese article here: http://toyokeizai. net/articles/-/44770

On the U. of Tokyo site for Dr. Fujii Toshitsugu it says that:
“Main research interest of my group is understanding the genesis of magmas and the behavior of aqueous fluid at high pressure“. http://www.eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp/KOHO/STAFF2/eng/fujii@magma_e.html

Here is a link to an abstract of his paper about Mt. Fuji: http://en.openei.org/wiki/Crypto-Magma_Chambers_Beneath_Mt_Fuji

The volcano map is from this wikipedia list. You can export the entire list at the upper right hand corner to google earth via kml http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_volcanoes_in_Japan
You can export the nuclear power plant sites into the map too by clicking on the coordinates and exporting to google earth. However, it appears to lack memory for more than a few power plants, at most. But, they can be exported one at a time for closer examination: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_Japan