Risk of Spread Of Radioactivity From Japan Into Atmosphere Evaluated

The National Nuclear Safety Administration, charged with protecting America from radiation risks is sending a team of U.S. supercomputer experts to Japan to assess the radiation risks posed by the nuclear crisis there. The agency has activated the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center which is staffed by nuclear scientists, meteorologists and computer scientists to render to the U.S. government real-time projections on the spread of radioactive materials into the atmosphere. The team uses data sent to a supercomputer in California along with algorithms created for radiation doses, exposure, hazard areas, meteorological conditions and other factors creating an accurate predictive model. They can know the speed with which a nuclear stockpile degrades and can simulate complex interactions between materials necessary for reactors to operate.This morning, Japan’s Nuclear Industrial Safety Agency recommended that people living within 20 kilometers of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant evacuate the area immediately.