RADIOISOTOPES P$sup 32$, Be$sup 7$, AND S$sup 35$ IN THE ATMOSPHERE

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1960 · J. Geophys. Research

OSTI ID:4164756

Lal Rama, D; Zutshi, P K

Simultaneous determinations were made of the concen trations of the radioisotopes P/sup 32/, Be/sup 7/, and S/sup 35/ in several rains collected at Bombay during the monsoon period of 1958. The observed annual deposition rates of P/sup 32/ and B/sup 7/ are found to agree within the expected meteorological fluctuations with those measured in the preceding two years at Bombay and other stations in India. S/sup 35/ deposition, however, has varied significantly outside normal fluctuations. From the observed variations in the annual fallout of these isotopes during 1956-1958 and relative isotope concentrations in individual rains, it was concluded that nuclear weapons have not resulted in any appreciable contributions to the observed Be/sup 7/ and P/sup 32/ activities. However, S/sup 35/ was contributed in appreciable quantities. During 1958, S/sup 35/ concentrations were very large, amounting to as much as 35 per cent of the observed Sr/sup 89/ concentrations in some rains. The relative concentrations of the isotopes Be/sup 7/ and P/sup 32/ in rains vary in a manner that would be expected for their production in the troposphere by cosmic rays, and their removal by wet precipitation with an average removal period of about 40 days. None of the rain samples analyzed so far could have resulted in precipitation occurring from an air mass which descended in the troposphere after an irradiation in the stratosphere for time periods that are long compared with the half lives of the isotopes. (auth)

• Research Organization: Tata Inst. of Fundamental Research, Bombay
• NSA Number: NSA-14-009257
• OSTI ID: 4164756
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Research, Journal Name: J. Geophys. Research Vol. Vol: 65
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AIR-- ATMOSPHERE-- BERYLLIUM 7-- COSMIC RADIATION-- GAS FLOW-- INDIA-- MEASURED VALUES-- METEOROLOGY-- MOTION-- NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS-- NUCLEAR REACTIONS-- PHOSPHORUS 32-- PRECIPITATION-- PRODUCTION-- QUANTITY RATIO-- RADIOACTIVITY-- RADIOISOTOPES-- RAIN-- STRATOSPHERE-- STRONTIUM 89-- SULFUR 35-- VARIATIONS
GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS