# NUCLEAR DISASTER (DD-297)

> On April 26, 1986, Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded and burned, in the Soviet Union's Ukrainian SSR, now The Ukraine. During the accident, molten fuel, cladding, concrete and sand mixed into a lava-like material called corium that flowed into rooms beneath the reactor. The best-known mass, the Elephant's Foot, was found in December 1986 in a maintenance corridor below the reactor's remains. Measurements then put its surface at roughly 8,000 to 10,000 roentgens per hour, enough to deliver a 50/50 lethal dose in a matter of minutes. Its radioactivity has fallen a great deal since, but it remains hazardous, and the site sits inside the New Safe Confinement arch completed in 2016. The footage shows photos from inside the plant and the corium mass.

- Department: History (also Dark Facts)
- First published: 2024-08-12
- Last updated: 2024-08-12
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/nuclear-disaster/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## On the timeline

- **April 26, 1986**: Reactor 4 at Chernobyl explodes and burns
- **December 1986**: The Elephant's Foot is found below the reactor

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=nuclear-disaster

## Quick facts

- **DD-297-F01**: Chernobyl's Reactor 4 exploded on April 26, 1986. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (April 26, 1986))_
- **DD-297-F02**: The Elephant's Foot is a mass of corium. _(Write-up · Exhibit C (Found in December 1986))_

## Write-up

Under Chernobyl's Reactor 4 sits a mass of solidified corium. In December 1986 its surface gave off about 8,000 to 10,000 roentgens an hour.

1. **April 26, 1986**: Reactor 4 at Chernobyl exploded on April 26, 1986.
2. **Corium**: Molten fuel mixed with concrete and sand into lava-like corium.
3. **Found in December 1986**: The Elephant's Foot was found in December 1986 below the reactor.
4. **Lethal in minutes**: Its surface then gave off about 8,000 to 10,000 roentgens per hour.
5. **Still hazardous**: Its radioactivity has fallen but it remains dangerous.

## Related case files

- [Cherenkov Glow (DD-020)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/cherenkov-glow/): I linked the blue glow seen in reactor pools
- [Duga (DD-592)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/duga/): I paired it with the Soviet radar near Chernobyl
- [The Red Forest (DD-105)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/the-red-forest/): I linked the same disaster from another angle

## Reel vs. record

- **Note**: The Reel's location line: in 1986 the plant was in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union; it's now in The Ukraine.
- **Note**: 'Meltdown of reactor 4': I'd say the reactor exploded and burned, which is more precise than meltdown alone.

## Video: NUCLEAR DISASTER: Under Chernobyl's Reactor 4 Sits a Mass of Solidified Corium

- Duration: 35.2 s · Published: 2024-08-12
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/C-l4YSjJjuf.mp4

### Transcript

DID YOU KNOW? The Chernobyl disaster in 1986 resulted in the catastrophic meltdown of reactor 4 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. One of the most infamous remnants of this disaster is the Elephant's Foot, a massive highly radioactive mass of corium and other materials that formed beneath the reactor. Resembling the rough texture and shape of an elephant's foot this deadly formation was created by the molten nuclear fuel mixing with concrete, sand, and other reactor components. Initially so radioactive that it could deliver a lethal dose in just minutes, the Elephant's Foot remains a potent symbol of the dangers of nuclear power gone awry. Over time its radioactivity has decreased but it still poses a significant hazard. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: When did Reactor 4 explode?**  
A: It was in the Soviet Union at the time. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (April 26, 1986) · Wikipedia: Chernobyl disaster)_

**Q: What is corium?**  
A: It flowed like lava. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Corium) · Wikipedia: Elephant's Foot (Chernobyl))_

**Q: When was the Elephant's Foot found?**  
A: It was in a corridor below the reactor. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Found in December 1986) · Wikipedia: Elephant's Foot (Chernobyl))_

**Q: About how radioactive was its surface then?**  
A: Enough for a lethal dose in minutes. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Lethal in minutes) · Wikipedia: Elephant's Foot (Chernobyl))_

**Q: Is it still hazardous?**  
A: Radioactivity has fallen over time. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Still hazardous) · Wikipedia: Elephant's Foot (Chernobyl))_

## Sources

- [Wikipedia: Elephant's Foot (Chernobyl)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant%27s_Foot_(Chernobyl))
- [Wikipedia: Chernobyl disaster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "NUCLEAR DISASTER." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-297, last updated Aug 12, 2024. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/nuclear-disaster/