Source: NBC

In the wake of the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami on March 11, Japan’s Fukushima nuclear reactor crisis took serious damage, although the extent of the damage remains unclear. Of particular concern is the spent fuel pool in reactor four. Water surrounding these rods is intended to both shield the spent fuel rods from releasing radiation and to cool them, explained Carnegie’s James Acton to Matt Lauer on NBC’s Today Show. However, water levels have gone down and the rods are now exposed. It remains unclear why water levels have dropped or what will happen as the fuel rods grow more exposed. Acton explained that evaporation is unlikely to have caused the depleted water levels, suggesting that there is a reasonable chance the pool was damaged by the tsunami. Nuclear experts disagree on whether the rods will start burning when exposed, Acton added.

With so much uncertainty and a situation that has escalated far beyond what the nuclear plants were designed to handle has required the Japanese government to improvise, Acton said. Helicopters have dumped tons of water onto reactor three in an effort to keep it cool. Throughout the Fukushima nuclear power plant, radiation levels have been fluctuating wildly and workers there are operating at great personal risk. Acton suggested that the depth of this crisis indicates a need for a wholesale review of whether nuclear plants are capable of withstanding the full range of disasters to which they may be exposed.