Techniques for precise mapping of /sup 226/Ra and /sup 228/Ra in the ocean

Journal Article · Sat Jul 20 00:00:00 EDT 1985 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JC090iC04p06983· OSTI ID:5438943

Moore, W S; Key, R M; Sarmiento, J L

Improvements in the analyses of /sup 226/Ra and /sup 228/Ra in seawater made possible by better extraction and processing techniques reduce significantly the errors associated with these measurements. These improvements and the extensive sampling for Ra isotopes conducted on the TTO North Atlantic Study should enable us to use the distribution of /sup 228/Ra to study mixing processes on a 3-15 year time scale in both the upper and deep North Atlantic. The /sup 228/Ra profiles already analyzed show a closer resemblance to GEOSECS tritium data than to TTO tritium data in the upper ocean. This is because the transient tracer tritium was responding on a 10-year time scale during GEOSECS and a 20-year time scale during TTO. The steady state tracer /sup 228/Ra should always respond on a time scale of 8 years. Thus the /sup 228/Ra data obtained on TTO should provide a means to extend the features of the GEOSECS tritium field to the regions of the TTO study. The /sup 226/Ra data are of high enough quality to identify features associated with different water masses. Changes in the positions of the deep-water masses since the GEOSECS cruise are revealed by the /sup 226/Radata.

• Research Organization: Department of Geology, University of South Carolina, Columbia
• OSTI ID: 5438943
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Vol. 90:C10
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ATLANTIC OCEAN
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
MIXING
RADIUM 226
RADIUM 228
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIUM ISOTOPES
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
520301* - Environment
Aquatic- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Water- (1987)