Atmospheric fluxes and marsh-soil inventories of /sup 7/Be and /sup 210/Pb

Journal Article · Sun Oct 20 04:00:00 EDT 1996 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6243066

Olsen, C R; Larsen, I L; Lowry, P D; Cutshall, N H; Todd, J F; Wong, G T.F.; Casey, W H

The atmospheric flux of /sup 7/Be over a 2-year period at a coastal site (Norfolk, Virginia) and at an inland site (Oak Ridge, Tennessee) typically supports inventories ranging from 1.0 to 2.0 pCi/cm/sup 2/ (1 pCi = 0.037 Bq), with the highest inventories generally occurring in the spring and the lowest occurring in the fall. The calculated average daily fluxes required to support these inventories range from 0.013 to 0.026 pCi cm/sup -2/ d/sup -1/. Despite the different production-source terms for /sup 7/Be and /sup 210/Pb, there is a high degree of correlation between their measured total monthly deposition reflecting the importance of washout in removing both radionuclides from the atmosphere. Beryllium 7 inventories in soil and vegetated marsh cores compare favorably with inventories calculated from the atmospheric deposition data. Lead 210 inventories in soil and vegetated marsh cores may be enriched (by 20--30%) in relation to inventories calculated from its depositional flux to bucket samples. Possible explanations for this enrichment are that above-ground vegetation is more efficient at collecting dry aerosols (containing short-lived radon daughters) than buckets or that foliage is an effective trap for particles containing sorbed /sup 210/Pb which may be eroded from unvegetated surfaces by wind or water. The vertical distribution and inventory of both /sup 7/Be and /sup 210/Pb in marsh cores are affected by the presence of vegetation and the location of the groundwater table.

• Research Organization: Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee
• OSTI ID: 6243066
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 90:D6; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500300* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
BERYLLIUM 7
BERYLLIUM ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DEPOSITION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ECOSYSTEMS
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LEAD 210
LEAD ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MARSHES
MASS TRANSFER
NUCLEI
PRECIPITATION SCAVENGING
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SINKS
WASHOUT
WETLANDS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES