Sediment data for computations of deposition rates in the tidal Potomac system, Maryland and Virginia
Sixty-two cores ranging in length from 33 to 1,002 cm were collected from the tidal Potomac system and from selected tributaries downstream from the local head-of-tides between June 1978 and July 1981. Segments from selected depths below the sediment surface have been analyzed for a variety of constituents, including lead-210, trace metals, nutrients, and particle size. The core sites were positioned throughout the hydrologic divisions and geomorphic units of the tidal Potomac system and in water depths ranging from 1 to 30 cm. Alpha counting methods were used to determine the polonium-210 radioactivity and secular equilibrium was assumed between lead-210 and polonium-210. The alpha decay of polonium-210 provides a measure of the lead-210 radioactivity of the lead-210 produced by in-situ decay of radium-226 in the sediment column and the lead-210 from external sources. Only the unsupported lead-210 was used in computations of the deposition rate. The background level of lead-210 in tidal Potomac system sediment cores usually is based on in-situ measurements of total lead-210 at depths below which no unsupported lead-210 is believed to be present, and the lead-210 concentrations are relatively constant. 6 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.
- OSTI ID:
- 6700686
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
540311 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- Radiometric Techniques-- (1990-)
540320* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON 14 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DEPOSITION
DRILL CORES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FEDERAL REGION III
HEAVY ION DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
MARYLAND
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
MONITORING
NANOSEC LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
NUTRIENTS
PARTICLE SIZE
POLONIUM 210
POLONIUM ISOTOPES
POTOMAC RIVER
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIUM 226
RADIUM ISOTOPES
RIVERS
SEDIMENTS
SIZE
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
TRACE AMOUNTS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
USA
VIRGINIA
WATER QUALITY
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES