/sup 14/C distribution in the Atlantic Ocean
The amount of /sup 14/C produced by nuclear bomb testing that entered the Atlantic Ocean by late 1972 was 1.71 x 10/sup -8/ ..mu..mol/cm/sup 2/ of ocean surface area for the west Atlantic (36/sup 0/S-45/sup 0/N) and 1.18 x 10/sup -8/ ..mu..mol/cm/sup 2/ for the east Atlantic (50/sup 0/S-28/sup 0/N) Geochemical Ocean Sections Study stations. There are strong latitudinal differences in the integrated amount of bomb /sup 14/C content in Atlantic waters. Bomb-produced /sup 14/C is mostly encountered near the center of the large mid-latitude gyres, whereas the equatorial region has a lower /sup 14/C inventory. The average ocean wide vertical distribution of bomb /sup 14/C in the Atlantic can be explained by a vertical eddy diffusion coefficient of 4.0 cm/sup 2//s in the surface mixed layer plus thermocline gyre reservoirs. The average /sup 14/C activity per unit area measured in the Atlantic yields an atmosphere-ocean CO/sub 2/ exchange rate of 23 mol/m/sup 2/ yr, which is equivalent with an atmospheric CO/sub 2/ residence time of 6.8 years.
- Research Organization:
- Department of Geological Sciences and Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
- OSTI ID:
- 5374374
- Journal Information:
- J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 85:C5; ISSN JGREA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON 14
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON ISOTOPES
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
DEPTH
DIFFUSION
DIMENSIONS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EXPLOSIONS
GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATIONS
ISOTOPES
LATITUDE EFFECT
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
NUCLEI
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOISOTOPES
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
VARIATIONS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES