How much does rainfall influence how much radiation is deposited in different geographic areas?
Everyone keeps talking about how the West Coast is the hardest hit, but doesn't the radioactive isotopes come down as dust particles and as rain? Here in southern california we've had hardly any rain except for the end of March (which unfortunately was when the most radiation was coming across the pacific), but what about places in the country that get a lot of rain time this time of year - e.g. the Pacific Northwest, the East. Does it follow that more radiation is deposited in those areas?
That's exactly my concern.
That's exactly my concern. I'm in Vancouver, BC, and we've been drenched in rain here for the past days, no weeks. No government institution is measuring rain water or soil. I have just had a lengthy discussion with a health official, as we need to push for these measurements to see the numbers.
I am in central Alberta and
I am in central Alberta and we have seen some rain this spring but not as much as you have in Vancouver. We have had almost a week of 60-80 km an hour winds though this past week so I am not sure what is blowing through here from Japan. I am very angry that the Canadian government is not doing any testing to let us know what is safe and what is not. I am trying not to stress too much about trying to protect my children but it is difficult to know what we are facing here without any testing be done.
I seem to be the only person worrying about this in my city. Everyone around me is going about their daily lives like this will never affect them because it is in Japan 7000 km away.