Norman Wells wrote:
The Natural Philosopher wrote:

every reactor problem has actually resulted in a serious FIRE as well
with the graphite moderators catching alight, and the general mess
that results more or less stops fissioning as well. Its nasty, its
dirty, but it wont melt its way to the center of the earth, although
if it did, it would be pretty safe, cos the evidence is that that is
where all the fissile uranium sits, helping keep your world warm,
anyway.

Are you saying now that the earth has a nuclear reaction going on at its
centre, and that's the reason it's pretty warm down there?



Yes, and no, that's not the only reason. Not even the biggest reason. Of
course it has nuclear reactions going on down there..where else would
all the radon come from? and all the uranium is still decaying whether
we use it in reactors or not.

How concentrated the reactions are, where they are, and how ,much they
contribute to global warming, is a highly debatable subject. Possibly
the best evidence is taht most models of the earth show it OUGHT to be
cooler than it is, unless some slight nuclear warming is posited.


There is evidence that what amounts to 'open hearth' fission reactors
have existed naturally (without actually making china) in the past.

http://knol.google.com/k/j-marvin-he...8elf7fue7ro/4#

for an interesting read.


Radioactivity and nuclear fission is a totally natural phenomenon and
doesn't need Man to set it going.On a global scale all that uranium is
going to decay anyway, so we might as well concentrate it, speed it up
and use it to light fires with.