Using fallout plutonium as a probe for erosion assessment |
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Authors: | W.T. Hoo L.K. FifieldS.G. Tims T. FujiokaN. Mueller |
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Affiliation: | a Department of Nuclear Physics, Research School of Physics and Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia b Engineering Hydrology, Ecowise Environmental Pty Ltd, Canberra, ACT 2609, Australia |
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Abstract: | A study has been carried out to assess the potential of using fallout plutonium (Pu), which originated from atmospheric nuclear-weapons tests, as a tool to investigate recent erosional processes within the lower Cotter water-supply catchment in the Australian Capital Territory. This catchment, which was predominantly pine plantation, was severely affected by a major bush fire in 2003. Accelerator mass spectrometry has been used to measure Pu in soil samples collected from a number of sites across the catchment. The results indicate that less than 1 cm of surface soil had been lost since the early 1960s over much of the catchment. Areas of more erodible soil have, however, lost 2-4 cm of topsoil, and a loss of ∼6 cm of soil was identified at one particular site. |
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Keywords: | Plutonium (Pu) Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) Erosion Radionuclide and environmental tracer |
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