Measurements of the stratospheric plume from the Mount St. Helens eruption: radioactivity and chemical composition

Journal Article · Thu Nov 19 23:00:00 EST 1981 · Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.214.4523.904· OSTI ID:5898084

Leifer, R ^[1]; Hinchliffe, L; Fisenne, I; Franklin, H; Knutson, E; Olden, M; Sedlacek, W; Mroz, E; Cahill, T

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1. Dept. of Energy, New York, NY

Gas measurements made in the stratospheric plume from the eruption of Mount St. Helens on 18 May 1980 were not consistent with a reported large injection of radon-222 into the atmosphere. No enrichment in the volatile element polonium was found in filter samples, and the ratio of polonium-210 to lead-210 was not different from background values. Data obtained with an experimental impactor, flown shortly after the eruption, showed an increase of 10/sup 3/ in the stratospheric number concentration of submicrometer sulfate particles compared to concentrations before the eruption.

• OSTI ID: 5898084
• Journal Information: Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States), Journal Name: Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States) Vol. 214; ISSN SCIEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
500300 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AERIAL MONITORING
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
DATA
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ERUPTION
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUIDS
GASES
HEAVY NUCLEI
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
LEAD 210
LEAD ISOTOPES
MONITORING
MOUNTAINS
MT ST HELENS
MULTI-ELEMENT ANALYSIS
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PLUMES
POLONIUM 210
POLONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOISOTOPES
RADON 222
RADON ISOTOPES
SAMPLING
STRATOSPHERE
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
VOLCANIC GASES
X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES