Historical /sup 14/C measurements from the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Final report
Atmospheric nuclear testing produced a dramatic increase in the level of /sup 14/C in atmospheric CO/sub 2/. Since the tropospheric residence time of /sup 14/C is on the order of a few years before being transferred to the sea, it appeared that a study of the distribution of the excess /sup 14/C in the sea and its change with time would give valuable insight into such problems as the rate of CO/sub 2/ exchange between the atmosphere and the sea and its dependence on wind speed over the sea surface; the rate of transfer by oceanic mixing processes of contaminants, including fallout radionuclides introduced initially into the mixed surface layer of the sea, into the deep sea; the rate of bottom water formation at high latitudes and subsequent advective transport from these source regions into the deep sea. Therefore a /sup 14/C sampling program was initiated. A method was developed for stripping CO/sub 2/ from sea water on board ship. The assay for /sup 14/C was performed by a radiocarbon gas proportional counter. Information on temperature and salinity at the various sampling depths as well as total CO/sub 2/ and absolute concentration of /sup 14/C is tabulated. (JGB)
- Research Organization:
- Washington Univ., Seattle (USA); Pacific Marine Environmental Lab., Seattle, WA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AT06-79EV10010
- OSTI ID:
- 5084939
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/EV/10010-2; ON: DE82020639
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON 14
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON ISOTOPES
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
DATA
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
EXPLOSIONS
FALLOUT
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDIAN OCEAN
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LIGHT NUCLEI
MASS TRANSFER
MONITORING
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PACIFIC OCEAN
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SEAS
SEAWATER
SURFACE WATERS
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES