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Except they built them in a place that's pretty known for earthquakes. An earthquake in Germany sounds like science fiction.

arethuza 5y ago
There have been fairly large (VEI 6) volcanic eruptions in Germany fairly recently (at least by geological standards): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laacher_See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laacher_See
- selfhoster11 5y ago
  While I had no idea that Germany was volcanically active (thanks for the link!), this doesn't seem to be an ongoing thing.
  - arethuza 5y ago
    Well, the area is categorised as volcanically active - I doubt if it is a very serious risk. Mind you - nobody thought we got tsunamis in Scotland: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storegga_Slide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storegga_Slide Just to make clear: I'm completely comfortable with nuclear power and I live reasonably close to the remaining operational nuclear power station in Scotland: https://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/rants/nothing-like-this-will-be-buil.html https://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/rants/nothing-l...
- LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
  With a VEI 6 happening there, a lil' bit of radioactivity would be one of your lesser problems, I'd guess. One bigger potential problem would be damming the Rhine there, and flooding large areas behind that dam way upstream, with many large chemical plants. And then the flood downstream, if that dam breaks down.
croes 5y ago
Yes, and the built it to withstand and earthquake or a tsunami, unfortunately not both. Because heavy earthquakes in Germany are unlikely the standards for german nuclear power plants aren't planned to withstand one because the planning is accordingly to the dangers of the location. And that is the problem. We are building something that has to last decades if not centuries and if we miss something the damage is severe. For example before satellite imagery ships were built according to the normal distribution of waves which said large waves are rare, freak waves nearly impossible. Stories about freak waves were even often dismissed as exaggeration or sailor's yarn. Nowadays we know freak waves happen a lot more often as we thought and ships are built accordingly but older ships have problems if a freak wave shows up or they simply sink.
LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
Uhm. Some "fiction" for you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_earthquakes_in_Germany https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_earthquakes_in_Germany There is also post-glacial rebound in northern Germany with several fault lines, one of them roughly between Kiel and Lübeck. Where parts of Denmark, Sweden and Norway still slowly rise, while the outer parts bordering Northern Germany slowly sink, 'scratching' against it. Also several large salt domes, producing sink holes which can be seen as lakes today. Interestingly, some of these are being explored today as energy storage solution, what could possibly go wrong? edit: Besides that, flooding. Again and again https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_von_Sturmfluten_an_der_Nordsee https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_von_Sturmfluten_an_der_N... Pick your 'fiction or fantasy' ;->

arethuza 5y ago

There have been fairly large (VEI 6) volcanic eruptions in Germany fairly recently (at least by geological standards): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laacher_See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laacher_See

selfhoster11 5y ago
While I had no idea that Germany was volcanically active (thanks for the link!), this doesn't seem to be an ongoing thing.
- arethuza 5y ago
  Well, the area is categorised as volcanically active - I doubt if it is a very serious risk. Mind you - nobody thought we got tsunamis in Scotland: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storegga_Slide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storegga_Slide Just to make clear: I'm completely comfortable with nuclear power and I live reasonably close to the remaining operational nuclear power station in Scotland: https://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/rants/nothing-like-this-will-be-buil.html https://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/rants/nothing-l...
LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
With a VEI 6 happening there, a lil' bit of radioactivity would be one of your lesser problems, I'd guess. One bigger potential problem would be damming the Rhine there, and flooding large areas behind that dam way upstream, with many large chemical plants. And then the flood downstream, if that dam breaks down.

croes 5y ago

Yes, and the built it to withstand and earthquake or a tsunami, unfortunately not both. Because heavy earthquakes in Germany are unlikely the standards for german nuclear power plants aren't planned to withstand one because the planning is accordingly to the dangers of the location. And that is the problem. We are building something that has to last decades if not centuries and if we miss something the damage is severe. For example before satellite imagery ships were built according to the normal distribution of waves which said large waves are rare, freak waves nearly impossible. Stories about freak waves were even often dismissed as exaggeration or sailor's yarn. Nowadays we know freak waves happen a lot more often as we thought and ships are built accordingly but older ships have problems if a freak wave shows up or they simply sink.

LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago

Uhm. Some "fiction" for you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_earthquakes_in_Germany https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_earthquakes_in_Germany There is also post-glacial rebound in northern Germany with several fault lines, one of them roughly between Kiel and Lübeck. Where parts of Denmark, Sweden and Norway still slowly rise, while the outer parts bordering Northern Germany slowly sink, 'scratching' against it. Also several large salt domes, producing sink holes which can be seen as lakes today. Interestingly, some of these are being explored today as energy storage solution, what could possibly go wrong? edit: Besides that, flooding. Again and again https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_von_Sturmfluten_an_der_Nordsee https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_von_Sturmfluten_an_der_N... Pick your 'fiction or fantasy' ;->