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One thing pretty clear there is a loop between Japan and North America so what ever goes into the ocean will reach other shores and keep circulating until deposited, absorbed, diffused. Will there be some effects on the areas rich in aquatic life on the shore of Japan? it is most certainly expected, at least within a 50 km zone to sea from Fukushima and that is being optimistic; Bill Campbell group manager of radiological and chemical risk at the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science in Lowestoft, England.
“But my advice would be not to eat seafood caught from within the evacuation and sheltering zone,” or about 30 kilometers offshore, Camplin said in an e-mail. “Effects on wildlife in the sea are unlikely to be severe.”
Also, is there migration of fishes from coast to coast?
The ocean currents surrounding the Japanese Archipelago: 1. Kuroshio 2.Kuroshio extension 3. Kuroshio countercurrent 4. The Tsushima Current 5. The Tsugaru Current 6. The Sōya Current 7.Oyashio 8. The Liman Current
"Satellite images of the Kuroshio Current illustrates how the current path meanders and forms isolated rings or eddies on the order of 100–300 km. Eddies retain their unique form for several months and have their own biological characteristics that depend on where they form. If the eddies are formed between the current and coastline of Japan, they may impinge on the continental shelf and their high kinetic energy has the effect of drawing large volumes of water off the shelf on one side of the ring, while adding water to the other side." Furthermore, eddies are very productive and thus rich in life. Wikipedia
This map clearly shows that it is likely that the currents will bring the radioactivity released into the ocean from Fukushima south with the Kuroshio counter current, possibly beyond Tokyo.
These are surface currents which will bring debris from Fukushima all the way to the shores of the US. It will take about a year to four years for these floating debris to reach N. America said John Anderson.
For a very interesting discussion on radiation in the ocean and dispersion see the article in Bloomberg
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I think people need to be alerted about the possibilities of radiation poisoning from Japan via the ocean currents and the time frame without creating a panic. I know the U.S. government is down playing the whole scenario but the reports coming out of Japan are that the radiation has not been contained, and there are leaks of contaminated water into the Pacific that have already been monitored in tuna fish catches off the East coast of U.S.A. The reports from Japan indicate the situation is out of control after another recent earthquake threatened the stability of the tanks holding the water for cooling the reactors. Its predicted the meltdown will be worse than Chernobyl and the fallout bigger than Hiroshima. Think a minute about whre you want to be when this happens and go there. Fallout shelters were built for this moment and Doomsday Preppers are the only ones prepared for it. Make friends with them.
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