EnvironmentMarch 15, 2011
Japan's Giant Shock Rattles Ideas about Earthquake Behavior
Few experts thought the seismic zone off Sendai, Japan, was capable of such violence.
The Japan Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Crisis
On March 11, a powerful, magnitude 9.0 quake hit northeastern Japan, triggering a tsunami with 10-meter-high waves that reached the U.S. west coast. Here's the science behind the disaster
HealthMarch 15, 2011
Does Potassium Iodide Protect People from Radiation Leaks?
Drugmakers are claiming to be running out of the thyroid cancer preventative, but depending on age and other circumstances, its usefulness is limited
EnvironmentMarch 15, 2011
Is Seawater a Last Resort to Cooling Japan's Nuclear Reactors?
Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant normally relied on purified water to whisk away heat from its reactors, until the destruction wrought by the March 11 tsunami called for extreme measures
EnvironmentMarch 15, 2011
Averting a "Japan syndrome": Reactor expert says Japan's woes shouldn't stop a nuclear renaissance
EnergyMarch 15, 2011
What Happens During a Nuclear Meltdown?
Nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi station in Japan are critically endangered but have not reached full meltdown status. Our nuclear primer explains what that means and how the situation compares with past nuclear accidents
EnvironmentMarch 15, 2011
The worst nuclear plant accident in history: Live from Chernobyl
EnvironmentMarch 15, 2011
Partial Meltdowns Led to Hydrogen Explosions at Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant
Hydrogen and steam explosions pose ongoing risks at the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant, where three such events have already occurred in the past five days
EnvironmentMarch 15, 2011
Fast Facts about the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
The speed of the Pacific Plate, the distance Japan's main island was displaced, and other facts and figures about the March 11 earthquake help to put this event into perspective
EnvironmentMarch 14, 2011
Japan's nuclear crisis and tsunami recovery via Twitter and other Web resources
EnvironmentMarch 14, 2011
Nuclear Accident Is Long-Feared "Station Blackout"
At a press briefing, physicist Ken Bergeron explained the type of accident occurring at Fukushima. Steve Mirsky reports
EnvironmentMarch 14, 2011
Will Fukushima Disaster Spell the End for a U.S. Nuclear Revival?
The full impact of the nuclear emergency in Japan will depend on how bad it gets
The SciencesMarch 14, 2011
Japan earthquake: The explainer
Mind & BrainMarch 13, 2011
Signs, signs, everywhere signs: Seeing God in tsunamis and everyday events
EnvironmentMarch 13, 2011
Nuclear Experts Explain Worst-Case Scenario at Fukushima Power Plant
The type of accident occurring now in Japan derives from a loss of off-site AC power and then a subsequent failure of emergency power on-site. Engineers there are racing to restore AC power to prevent a core meltdown
March 12, 2011
Failure of imagination can be deadly: Fukushima is a warning
March 12, 2011
Beware the fear of nuclear....FEAR!
The SciencesMarch 12, 2011
The essential lesson from the Japan earthquake for the U.S.
EnvironmentMarch 12, 2011
A Visual Tour of the Massive Earthquake and Tsunami That Hit Japan [Slide Show]
Maps and on-the-ground views reveal the aftermath and its extent
The SciencesMarch 11, 2011
Worldwide Monitoring Network Allows for Rapid Tsunami Warnings
After the Japan earthquake, seismic stations, deep-ocean buoys and tidal gauges delivered a wealth of data for accurate tsunami forecasts in Hawaii, California and the rest of the Pacific Rim, but public preparedness can be even more important
The SciencesMarch 11, 2011
The spread of the tsunami from Japan across the Pacific [Video]
EnvironmentMarch 11, 2011
How to Cool a Nuclear Reactor
Japan's devastating earthquake caused cooling problems at one of the nation's nuclear reactors, and authorities scrambled to prevent a meltdown
TechnologyMarch 11, 2011
Seconds Before the Big One: Progress in Earthquake Alarms
Earthquake detection systems can sound the alarm in the moments before a big tremor strikes—time enough to save lives
The SciencesMarch 11, 2011
How Does an Earthquake Trigger Tsunamis Thousands of Kilometers Away?
As Japan suffered the worst earthquake in the country's recorded history, tsunami waves fanned out across the Pacific Ocean at the speed of a jetliner
March 11, 2011
Nature: Earthquake dispatches from the correspondent in Japan [Updated]