Interview with Professor Naj Meshkati on the state of Japan's nuclear crisis.

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In the aftermath of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, several reactors at Japanese Nuclear plants became unstable and have been releasing high levels of radiation. Professor Naj Meshkati shared his expertise on how earthquakes affect nuclear plants with Annenberg Radio News. According to his understanding, when the tsunami hit the affected Japanese nuclear plants, it surmounted the protective wall of the plant by about half a meter. This was the largest tsunami Japan faced on record.

For California, which is overdue for a big earthquake, there are things we can learn from Japan's crisis. Professor gives the US nuclear industry credit for swiftly taking action following the devastation in Japan. He says the U.S. must "look beyond a design basis and re-examine our assumptions" about nuclear power plant safety.