What+we+know+Team+A

-The earthquake in Japan was in the ocean. -Earthquakes in the ocean cause tsunami. -The buildings in Japan have shock absorbs. -It was a 8.9 on the earthquake scale. -The nuclear plants in Japan are getting warm. -Radiation is at risk. -Tsunami's wave in California was 6 feet tall. -Many lives were lost. -Buildings were built to be prepared. -The scale used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake is called the Richter scale -Two additional earthquakes above 6.0 on the Richter scale occured after the initial quake plus hundreds of aftershocks. -The reactors contain plutonium rods that must be kept cool in tanks of water. Because power was lost due to the earthquake, generators that pump water into the tanks are down. If the plutonium rods overheat, they will melt, releasing radioactive steam and particles into the air. The problem is keeping the plutonium rods cool with enough water and restore power to the generators so that water can continue to be pumped into the tanks.