Radium in the Dead Sea: a possible tracer for the duration of meromixis

Journal Article · Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984 · Limnol. Oceanogr.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1984.29.3.0574· OSTI ID:6355506

Stiller, M; Chung, Y C

Three profiles of /sup 226/Ra in the meromictic Dead Sea measured during 1963-1978 indicate that the radium activities in the upper water mass were higher than in the lower water mass. All three profiles indicate a similar radium inventory. The age of the meromictic structure is estimated by a model which requires that the radium inventory of the lake be at a steady state, that sometime in the past the radium profile of the lake had been uniform and that the contemporaneous profiles of radium have been built up by inflows of radium solely into the upper water mass, while the monimolimnion is relict, isolated, and loses radium only by radioactive decay. Supporting evidence is presented suggesting that the above conditions may be fulfilled.

• Research Organization: Weizmann Inst. of Science, Rehovot, Israel
• OSTI ID: 6355506
• Journal Information: Limnol. Oceanogr.; (United States), Vol. 29:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
DEAD SEA
AGE ESTIMATION
LIMNOLOGY
RADIUM 226
TRACER TECHNIQUES
WATER CURRENTS
WATER POLLUTION
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CURRENTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LAKES
NUCLEI
POLLUTION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIUM ISOTOPES
SURFACE WATERS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
520301* - Environment
Aquatic- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Water- (1987)