Meteorological modeling of radioiodine transport and deposition within the continental United States

Journal Article · Thu Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Health Physics; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-199011000-00011· OSTI ID:6145310

Hoecker, W H; Machta, L ^[1]

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1. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Air Resources Laboratory, Silver Spring, MD (USA)

A meteorological transport and deposition interpolation model has been employed to estimate radioiodine deposition remote from the Nevada Test Site between points of observed deposition. The movement of the radioactive cloud across the United States is obtained from wind trajectories at various quasi-constant levels up to the top of the initial radioactive cloud. This model deals primarily with depositions beneath the passing cloud that are associated with precipitation. The fraction of radioiodine scavenged was inferred from a relationship derived statistically from fallout at locations having wet deposition. Therefore, estimation of deposition at locations between fallout observations is possible wherever precipitation occurred under the cloud. These estimates use very detailed historical records of precipitation available for virtually every county in the United States. Because significant dry and wet depositions also occur in areas that are not beneath the cloud, interpolation methods, such as kriging, are used to estimate fallout between the radioactivity observation locations. Ground-level radioactivity measurements are required for these alternative methods. Such observations are validated before being used, often by the use of supplementary low-level trajectories.

• OSTI ID: 6145310
• Journal Information: Health Physics; (USA), Journal Name: Health Physics; (USA) Vol. 59:5; ISSN HLTPA; ISSN 0017-9078
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540130* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
CLOUDS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DEPOSITION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FALLOUT
IODINE ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METEOROLOGY
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEVADA TEST SITE
PARTICLE SIZE
RADIOACTIVE CLOUDS
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
SIMULATION
SIZE
TRAJECTORIES
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS