Nearly a year has passed since last March's earthquake and tsunami in Japan.   

The Atlantic has posted stunning comparison photographs taken during or just after the disaster to scenes captured more recently.

Many show considerable progress has been made in rebuilding the affected areas, while other locations still have tremendous damage still evident.

View: "Japan Earthquake: Before and After" from The Atlantic.

New study on debris field shows continued radiation contamination unlikely

Researchers have studied the possibility of radiation contamination from the damaged Fukushima nuclear reactor on debris likely to wash ashore along the Pacific Northwest in the coming months.

The scientists from Oregon State University say there is no cause for concern from radiation.

Any levels present in beached debris should be below limits considered hazardous.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about radioactivity,” said Kathryn Higley, professor and head of the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics at OSU.

“Many people believe that if it can be measured, it’s harmful. But we live in a world of radiation coming to us from the sun, or naturally present in the earth, or even from our own bodies."

Hazardous radiation contamination received in the disaster, Higley notes, should have been washed away or decayed on its own.

Residents along the Pacific Northwest should be cautious for other hazards from debris, such as sharp objects or harmful chemicals that might still be enclosed in containers or vessels.

Read "For Disaster Debris Arriving from Japan, Radiation Least of the Concerns" from Oregon State University.

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