Chernobyl {sup 137}Cs used to determine sediment accretion rates at selected northern European coastal wetlands

Journal Article · Wed May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996 · Limnology and Oceanography

DOI:https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1996.41.3.0444· OSTI ID:447714

Callaway, J C; DeLaune, R D; Patrick, Jr, W H ^[1]

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1. Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA (United States)

Sediment cores were collected form five coastal wetlands along the North Sea (England and Netherlands) and Baltic Sea (Poland). {sup 137}Cs dating was used to assess sediment accretion rates, including rates based on the {sup 137}Cs peak from the 1986 accident at Chernobyl. Peaks form the Chernobyl fallout were found in cores from the Oder and Vistula Rivers in Poland, from the Eastern Scheldt in the Netherlands, and in one of the two cores from Stiffkey Marsh, UK. No evidence of Chernobyl fallout was found in cores from Dengie Marsh, UK. The Chernobyl {sup 137}Cs peak serves as an excellent marker for short-term accretion rates because of its high activity. Vertical accretion rates (cm yr{sup {minus}1}) based on 1963 and 1986 peaks were similar at most sites; differences may be due to large inputs of sediment from storms or recent accumulation of organic matter. Large differences in sediment characteristics and accretion rates were found between samples from Poland and western Europe. Vertical accretion rates over the period 1963-1986 ranged from 0.26 to 0.85 cm{sup {minus}1} and from 0.30 to 1.90 cm yr{sup {minus}1} over the 1986-1991 period. Vertical accretion rates for the period these sites are in imminent danger of excessive flooding. The Chernobyl {sup 137}Cs peak will be especially useful for studies of short-term (i.e. very recent) sedimentation in the near future and for comparisons of sediment processes over different time scales. 33 refs., 4 figs., 4 tabs.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 447714
• Journal Information: Limnology and Oceanography, Journal Name: Limnology and Oceanography Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 41; ISSN LIOCAH; ISSN 0024-3590
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BALTIC SEA
CESIUM 137
CLIMATIC CHANGE
FALLOUT
ISOTOPE DATING
NETHERLANDS
NORTH SEA
ORGANIC MATTER
POLAND
RADIATION ACCIDENTS
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
SEDIMENTATION
SEDIMENTS
WESTERN EUROPE
WETLANDS