What exactly will happen if the nuclear power plant completely fails in Japan?

Yes I am very worried about the fallout. I am no expert, that is for sure but I do think it will create major problems. Radiation fallout through probably all of Japan and further, not sure how much further but do not think it will make it as far as America. At least I hope not!

Trade with Japan and surrounds will be one of the big problems. Possibly disease, hunger, homelessness, marine life and other species. So many problems could possibly occur.Be prepared is my thinking, you never know.

You may need some savings as back up, to get out if needed and buy as much as you can before you go. Keep driving and don't stop. Please do not think I am being negative or morbid - just prepared!

I hope this helps a bit? Cheers Skellie :D.

Complete failure is a Nuclear meltdown. (No nuclear explosion is possible as the reactors are designed to have uranium or plutonium below critical mass). That is the reactor fuel rods heat by themselves to the melting point and that molten ball of liquid too produces heat.

That burns everything. The container (stainless steel, and the concrete, the floor) and the earth, crust of the earth and the molten Uranium liquid will sink to the core of the earth and mixes with the molten lava in the core of the earth. Nuclear Scientists from many countries are trying desperately to stop a meltdown.

But one of the reactors are suspected having melt partially already.

Well I would assume the radioactive materials would go viral, rendering some perimeter around the site uninhabitable for quite some time.

I am so glad you asked this question and thankful for those that have answered with positive or more easing news. There are many negative minded people around saying - the world is going to end especially in 2012. I just think its ludicris to be saying!

I do not trust the news as I agree they hype things up. My heart goes out to Japan and hope everyone can help restore what is gone and help the victims as much as you can. I have donated to red cross.

I think it will change the world. Japan is a major player in global economics and having something like this happen will affect all of us in that sense. I am not particularly worried about radiation affecting those of us in the USA.

To those of you saying that it will be another Chernobyl, you are wrong. It won't be because they are different types of reactor. Sun Pen has it right.It will be a meltdown, not a nuclear explosion.

Since Japan is a fairly isolated island, spreading radiation is likely to be dispersed widely over the sea, and then brought into the sea by rain. Once in the sea, it will be dispersed even more widely. The more it is dispersed, the less harmful it will be.

We are all exposed to radiation every day - it is a natural phenomenon. It is only high concentrations of radiation that are dangerous. Most of those near the reactors who have been exposed to radiation from the reactors have only got a dose of radiation equivalent to one months' worth of ordinary natural radiation, so there is nothing to panic about.

There is no "nuclear crisis" at the moment - it is just being hyped up by the press. The big disaster is the humanitarian disaster in the area from the tsunami. Focus should be on that, and on helping the victims, but hyping up a possible "nuclear disaster" is a "better story" for the press.

Prevailing winds say, Look out... Another possibility is it pollutes the ocean as well.

Well, the radiation will go into the atmosphere. There is debate whether or not it would make it all the way to the west coast of the U.S.. I have heard that the jet stream will blow radiation eastward reaching the U.S. Within 36 hours. I suggest stocking up on Potassium Iodide.

The radiation cannot travel to other continents from Japan, because the rein will stop it radiation to spread.

Well, worse case scenario another Chernobyl. I am admitted a bit worried since Japan is a pretty small island and the radiation would undoubtedly pollute the oceans and then the currents will disperse it around the world.

I guess it will be the same as Chernobyl. The area will be virtually uninhabitable for a long time and global background radiation levels will skyrocket. Of course the governments of the world will then revise the safe universal background radiation levels to be much higher and convince us all that its not a problem even though cancer rates will increase.

What should happen is that this should act as a warning to the world and every country should scrap their nuclear program. It isn't needed any more. We need to adopt safe renewable energy sources.

It will contaminate and cross-contaminate around the world.

The rods will heat to the point of melting and cause fires to any structures nearby which can burn. It will melt anything around it susceptible to the temperatures that are reached. This temperature can easily be a few thousand degrees, maybe more.

The radioactive mass of rods, melting together will also increase radioactive decay which means that radiation being emitted will increase to dangerous or even easily fatal levels depending on how close workers are to the reactor site. Radiation will only be released as particles by vaporization and going into the atmosphere as smoke. The trouble is that radioactive materials don't simply 'burn out'.

They continue to release energy over a long period of time because an enormous amount of energy is bound up into the nucleus of radioactive atoms (and in fact ALL atoms). This energy is released because radioactive atoms are unstable and WILL decay over time sending out particles at high speed and high energy radiations such as gamma radiation. This is the stuff that can easily damage your DNA and thereby kill the cells in your body.

We are safe from the Japanese reactor radiation as long as the smoke and vapor do not get into the jet stream. If it does then it will be in the United states in about a day. However, even then it will be diminished due to diffusion in the atmosphere.

The real worry for us will be increased cancer rates-especially in the thyroid.

I think you know it won't be good for the entire world. It will spread all over the world. That's why we in America need to be dismantling all nuclear plants asap.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.