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Control rods effectively halted the nuclear reactions. That's exactly what happened when the March 11 earthquake hit Japan. Control rods can separate the radioactive material, thus ending the nuclear reaction. Nuclear reactors generate power via controlled nuclear fission, which occurs when enough radioactive material is gathered into a critical mass. "Meltdown" is not a technical term, but it vividly describes the worst-case scenario for a nuclear reactor.
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What does it mean for a nuclear energy plant to melt down? But what are the risks from the radiation that already has been released - and from the radiation that could be released if containment efforts fail? There's hope that a major nuclear disaster can be averted. Moreover, a protective pool in which spent nuclear fuel is stored has been leaking water, resulting in the release of radioactivity.
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At least one reactor appears to have suffered a partial meltdown. Ma- Experts now say it will be weeks until the emergency situation at the earthquake/tsunami-damaged nuclear power plants in Japan are brought under control.ĭamage and failed cooling systems have raised the fears of a total meltdown in at least one of the six nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi facility.