Atmospheric injections of nuclear debris: Strontium 89 and 90 from Chinese weapons tests

Journal Article · Fri Aug 20 04:00:00 EDT 1982 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JC087iC09p07273· OSTI ID:7063193

Burchfield, L A; Stevens, S; Inn, K G.W.; Sumerlin, N G; Kuroda, P K

The concentrations of /sup 89/Sr and /sup 90/Sr in a total of 455 samples of individual rain and snow collected at Fayetteville (36 /sup 0/N, 94 /sup 0/W), Arkansas, were determined radiochemically during the period between April 1973 and June 1981. Nine atmospheric nuclear tests were conducted by the government of China at Lop Nor (40 /sup 0/N, 90 /sup 0/E) during the period 1973--1981. The Chinese nuclear tests of June 27, 1973 (3--megaton, the 15th test); June 17, 1974 (1--2 megaton, the 16th); January 23, 1976 (reported to have been a low-yield device, the 18th); and November 17, 1976 (4-megaton, the 21st) injected the bulk of the nuclear debris into the stratosphere. The values of mean residence times ranging from 7 to 20 days obtained after the 19th, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th Chinese tests were similar to those reported earlier for the mean residence time of nuclear debris injected into the troposphere. The cycling effect of the nuclear debris was observed after the 22nd Chinese test of September 17, 1977, and the 25th Chinese test of October 16, 1980.

• Research Organization: Department of Chemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
• OSTI ID: 7063193
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 87:C9; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640202* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Effects of Nuclear Detonations
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ASIA
ATMOSPHERIC EXPLOSIONS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHINA
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXPLOSIONS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
NUCLEI
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RAIN
STRONTIUM 89
STRONTIUM 90
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES