Sediment data for computations of deposition rates in the tidal Potomac system, Maryland and Virginia
Sixty-two cores ranging in length from 33 to 1,002 cm were collected from the tidal Potomac system and from selected tributaries downstream from the local head-of-tides between June 1978 and July 1981. Segments from selected depths below the sediment surface have been analyzed for a variety of constituents, including lead-210, trace metals, nutrients, and particle size. The core sites were positioned throughout the hydrologic divisions and geomorphic units of the tidal Potomac system and in water depths ranging from 1 to 30 cm. Alpha counting methods were used to determine the polonium-210 radioactivity and secular equilibrium was assumed between lead-210 and polonium-210. The alpha decay of polonium-210 provides a measure of the lead-210 radioactivity of the lead-210 produced by in-situ decay of radium-226 in the sediment column and the lead-210 from external sources. Only the unsupported lead-210 was used in computations of the deposition rate. The background level of lead-210 in tidal Potomac system sediment cores usually is based on in-situ measurements of total lead-210 at depths below which no unsupported lead-210 is believed to be present, and the lead-210 concentrations are relatively constant. 6 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.
- OSTI ID:
- 6700686
- Resource Relation:
- Related Information: USGS Open-File Report 86-318
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
MARYLAND
WATER QUALITY
SEDIMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
VIRGINIA
DEPOSITION
DRILL CORES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
METALS
MONITORING
NUTRIENTS
PARTICLE SIZE
POLONIUM 210
POTOMAC RIVER
RADIUM 226
TRACE AMOUNTS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON 14 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FEDERAL REGION III
HEAVY ION DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
NANOSEC LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
POLONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIUM ISOTOPES
RIVERS
SIZE
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
USA
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
540311 - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- Radiometric Techniques- (1990-)