Cesium 137 transport into the Arctic Ocean through Fram Strait

Journal Article · Thu Feb 15 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JC095iC02p01693· OSTI ID:5048425

Smith, J N; Ellis, K M; Jones, E P ^[1]

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1. Bedford Inst. of Oceanography, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia (Canada)

Cesium 134 and {sup 137}Cs activities were measured in water samples collected in March-April 1981 at the Fram 3 ice station located 200 km north of Fram Strait. The water depth profiles of these isotopes reveal the presence of two pathways for the entry of anthropogenic tracers into the Arctic Ocean through Fram Strait. Atlantic water passing across the Yermak Plateau at the 100-200 m level is labeled by elevated concentrations of {sup 134}Cs and {sup 137}Cs associated with inputs from the Sellafield reprocessing plant in the United Kingdom. The {sup 134}Cs/{sup 137}Cs ratio is consistent with a transit time into the Nansen Basin from the Sellafield, United Kingdom, vicinity of 5-6 years. An elevated concentration of {sup 137}Cs at the 1,500-m level is associated with inputs of recently ventilated water from the Greenland-Norwegian seas or as a consequence of brine formation and off-shelf transport from the Barents Sea.

• OSTI ID: 5048425
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 95:C2; ISSN 0148-0227; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540330* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ARCTIC OCEAN
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM 134
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CONTAMINATION
DEPTH
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DIMENSIONS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EUROPE
FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSI
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SEAS
SELLAFIELD REPROCESSING PLANT
SURFACE WATERS
TIME DEPENDENCE
UNITED KINGDOM
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES