Science Matters

Work on containing the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi complex is hampered because the level of radioactive iodine found in water inside exceeds 10,000 times the safety standard, officials say.

The buildup of radioactive water in the tunnels underneath at least three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant is hindering efforts to restore power to the facility. The discovery of trace levels of plutonium, which is highly carcinogenic, suggests that contaminated water has seeped into the nearby soil.

Nuclear scientists and policy experts say the quality and quantity of information coming out of Fukushima has left gaping holes in their understanding of the nuclear disaster nearly two weeks after it began.

Scientists in Pasadena say data from the temblor will show how Earth is deformed during massive earthquakes at sites where one plate is sliding under the other, including the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

A look at what could happen to people who are exposed to radiation in the Japanese nuclear crisis.

The 8.9 magnitude earthquake is among the top 10 ever recorded and occurred on an irregular fault line where a smaller temblor would be expected.

The eruption of the Shinmoedake volcano hundreds of miles away may be linked to the quake, but it’s difficult to prove, one scientist says. In general, though, one can easily affect the other.