Unusually large sup 210 Po deficiencies relative to sup 210 Pb in the Kuroshio Current of the East China and Philippine seas

Journal Article · Sun Apr 15 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JC095iC04p05321· OSTI ID:5084348

Nozaki, Yoshiyuki ^[1]; Ikuta, Naoko; Yashima, Mayumi ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Tokyo (Japan)
2. Nihon Univ., Tokyo (Japan)

Three vertical water profiles of {sup 210}Pb and {sup 210}Po have been measured in the East China and Philippine seas. All the profiles show a large {sup 210}Po deficiency of {approximately} 8 dpm/cm{sup 2} relative to {sup 210}Pb in the top {approximately} 1,000 m of the water column. Based on the {sup 210}Po deficiency, the steady state flux for {sup 210}Po removal from the surface water is estimated to be 14 dpm cm{sup {minus}2}/yr. The {sup 210}Po/{sup 210}Pb ratio of sinking particles will be too high unless an additional source of {sup 210}Pb into the surface is accounted for. Thus the large {sup 210}Po deficit is probably caused by the increased atmospheric input of {sup 210}Pb without any significant {sup 210}Po, which is focused in the Kuroshio region by isopycnal transport, and the preferential scavenging of {sup 210}Po relative to {sup 210}Pb by settling particles. The transient model calculations indicate that the model can account for the observed high excess {sup 210}Pb inventory and large {sup 210}Po deficiency in the water column if focusing of atmospherically derived {sup 210}Pb in the Kuroshio water is a factor of 2-3 more than the local input. Such lateral redistribution by the western North Pacific gyre circulation is not inconsistent with the deeper penetration and the high water column inventories of anthropogenic substances observed in this region.

• OSTI ID: 5084348
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 95:C4; ISSN JGREA; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540311* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- Radiometric Techniques-- (1990-)
AIR POLLUTION
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ASIA
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHEMISTRY
CHINA SEA
COASTAL WATERS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISLANDS
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE RATIO
ISOTOPES
LEAD 210
LEAD ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
MEASURING METHODS
NANOSEC LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
PACIFIC OCEAN
PHILIPPINES
POLLUTION
POLONIUM 210
POLONIUM ISOTOPES
PRECIPITATION SCAVENGING
RADIOISOTOPES
REMOVAL
SAMPLING
SCAVENGING
SEAS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SINKS
SURFACE WATERS
WASHOUT
WATER CHEMISTRY
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES