High resolution profile of radiocaesium deposition in Loch Lomond sediments - a failure of ¹³⁷Cs dating

Eades, L.J., Farmer, J.G., MacKenzie, A.B., Kirika, A. and Bailey-Watts, A.E. (1998) High resolution profile of radiocaesium deposition in Loch Lomond sediments - a failure of ¹³⁷Cs dating. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 39(2), pp. 107-115. (doi: 10.1016/S0265-931X(97)00054-4)

Abstract

A sediment core from the southern basin of freshwater Loch Lomond, Scotland, was thinly sectioned at 3mm intervals and analysed for radiocaesium, present as a result of fallout from the atmospheric nuclear weapons' testing programme of the 1950s and 1960s and from the Chernobyl reactor accident of April 1986. The high-resolution sampling enabled much improved resolution of peaks from weapons testing fallout and Chernobyl and led to the estimation of a sedimentation rate (30.9mgcm^-2y^-1) for which the uncertainty was a factor of five times less than that of a previous study based on a 1cm sampling frequency. Further potential advantages of high-resolution sampling in distinguishing possible influences upon the vertical distribution of radiocaesium in sediments are discussed.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: MacKenzie, Professor Angus
• Authors: Eades, L.J., Farmer, J.G., MacKenzie, A.B., Kirika, A., and Bailey-Watts, A.E.
• Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre
• Journal Name: Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
• Journal Abbr.: JER
• ISSN: 0265-931X
• ISSN (Online): 1879-1700
• Published Online: 11 June 1998