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Title: Chlorine-36 in Water, Snow, and Mid-Latitude Glacial Ice of North America: Meteoric and Weapons-Tests Production in the Vicinity of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho

Abstract

Measurements of chlorine-36 (36Cl) were made for 64 water, snow, and glacial-ice and -runoff samples to determine the meteoric and weapons-tests-produced concentrations and fluxes of this radionuclide at mid-latitudes in North America. The results will facilitate the use of 36Cl as a hydrogeologic tracer at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). This information was used to estimate meteoric and weapons-tests contributions of this nuclide to environmental inventories at and near the INEEL. The data presented in this report suggest a meteoric source 36Cl for environmental samples collected in southeastern Idaho and western Wyoming if the concentration is less than 1 x 10 7 atoms/L. Additionally, concentrations in water, snow, or glacial ice between 1 x 10 7 and 1 x 10 8 atoms/L may be indicative of a weapons-tests component from peak 36Cl production in the late 1950s. Chlorine-36 concentrations between 1 x 10 8 and 1 x 10 9 atoms/L may be representative of re-suspension of weapons-tests fallout airborne disposal of 36Cl from the INTEC, or evapotranspiration. It was concluded from the water, snow, and glacial data presented here that concentrations of 36Cl measured in environmental samples at the INEEL larger than 1 x 10 9 atoms/Lmore » can be attributed to waste-disposal practices.« less

Authors:
;  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [1]
  1. USGS
  2. Purdue University
  3. University of Waterloo
  4. University of Arizona
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
U. S. Geological Survey, Idaho Falls, ID (US)
Sponsoring Org.:
US Department of Energy (US)
OSTI Identifier:
765561
Report Number(s):
DOE/ID-22156
TRN: AH200103%%631
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 1 Jan 1999
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 58 GEOSCIENCES; CHLORINE 36; IDAHO; NORTH AMERICA; PRODUCTION; SNOW; WASTE DISPOSAL; WATER; CHLORINE-36 (36CL); METEORIC; CONCENTRATIONS; FLUXES; HYDROGEOLOGIC TRACER; SURFACE-WATER; ICE; WEAPONS-TESTS; FALLOUT; EVAPOTRANSPIRATION; WASTE-DISPOSAL PRACTICES

Citation Formats

DeWayne, L, Green, J R, S Vogt, P Sharma, Frape, S K, Davis, S N, and Cottrell, G L. Chlorine-36 in Water, Snow, and Mid-Latitude Glacial Ice of North America: Meteoric and Weapons-Tests Production in the Vicinity of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho. United States: N. p., 1999. Web. doi:10.2172/765561.
DeWayne, L, Green, J R, S Vogt, P Sharma, Frape, S K, Davis, S N, & Cottrell, G L. Chlorine-36 in Water, Snow, and Mid-Latitude Glacial Ice of North America: Meteoric and Weapons-Tests Production in the Vicinity of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/765561
DeWayne, L, Green, J R, S Vogt, P Sharma, Frape, S K, Davis, S N, and Cottrell, G L. 1999. "Chlorine-36 in Water, Snow, and Mid-Latitude Glacial Ice of North America: Meteoric and Weapons-Tests Production in the Vicinity of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/765561. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/765561.
@article{osti_765561,
title = {Chlorine-36 in Water, Snow, and Mid-Latitude Glacial Ice of North America: Meteoric and Weapons-Tests Production in the Vicinity of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho},
author = {DeWayne, L and Green, J R and S Vogt, P Sharma and Frape, S K and Davis, S N and Cottrell, G L},
abstractNote = {Measurements of chlorine-36 (36Cl) were made for 64 water, snow, and glacial-ice and -runoff samples to determine the meteoric and weapons-tests-produced concentrations and fluxes of this radionuclide at mid-latitudes in North America. The results will facilitate the use of 36Cl as a hydrogeologic tracer at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). This information was used to estimate meteoric and weapons-tests contributions of this nuclide to environmental inventories at and near the INEEL. The data presented in this report suggest a meteoric source 36Cl for environmental samples collected in southeastern Idaho and western Wyoming if the concentration is less than 1 x 10 7 atoms/L. Additionally, concentrations in water, snow, or glacial ice between 1 x 10 7 and 1 x 10 8 atoms/L may be indicative of a weapons-tests component from peak 36Cl production in the late 1950s. Chlorine-36 concentrations between 1 x 10 8 and 1 x 10 9 atoms/L may be representative of re-suspension of weapons-tests fallout airborne disposal of 36Cl from the INTEC, or evapotranspiration. It was concluded from the water, snow, and glacial data presented here that concentrations of 36Cl measured in environmental samples at the INEEL larger than 1 x 10 9 atoms/L can be attributed to waste-disposal practices.},
doi = {10.2172/765561},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/765561}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1999},
month = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1999}
}