Geomorphic control of radionuclide diffusion in desert soils

Jon D. Pelletier; Charles D. Harrington; John W. Whitney; Michael Cline; Stephen B. DeLong; Gordon Keating; Teryn K. Ebert

doi:10.1029/2005GL024347

Geomorphic control of radionuclide diffusion in desert soils

Jon D. Pelletier, Charles D. Harrington, John W. Whitney, Michael Cline, Stephen B. DeLong, Gordon Keating, Teryn K. Ebert

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Diffusion is a standard model for the vertical migration of radionuclides in soil profiles. Here we show that diffusivity values inferred from fallout ¹³⁷CS profiles in soils on the Fortymile Wash alluvial fan, Nye County, Nevada, have a strong inverse correlation with the age of the geomorphic surface. This result suggests that radionuclide-bound particles are predominantly transported by infiltration rather than by bulk-mixing processes such as wetting/ drying, freeze/thaw, and bioturbation. Our results provide a preliminary basis for using soil-geomorphic mapping, point-based calibration data, and the diffusion model to predict radionuclide trans desert soils within a pedotransfer-function approach.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	L23401
Pages (from-to)	1-4
Number of pages	4
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	32
Issue number	23
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL024347
State	Published - Dec 16 2005

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geophysics
General Earth and Planetary Sciences

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10.1029/2005GL024347

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title = "Geomorphic control of radionuclide diffusion in desert soils",

abstract = "Diffusion is a standard model for the vertical migration of radionuclides in soil profiles. Here we show that diffusivity values inferred from fallout 137CS profiles in soils on the Fortymile Wash alluvial fan, Nye County, Nevada, have a strong inverse correlation with the age of the geomorphic surface. This result suggests that radionuclide-bound particles are predominantly transported by infiltration rather than by bulk-mixing processes such as wetting/ drying, freeze/thaw, and bioturbation. Our results provide a preliminary basis for using soil-geomorphic mapping, point-based calibration data, and the diffusion model to predict radionuclide trans desert soils within a pedotransfer-function approach.",

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AU - Pelletier, Jon D.

AU - Harrington, Charles D.

AU - Whitney, John W.

AU - Cline, Michael

AU - DeLong, Stephen B.

AU - Keating, Gordon

AU - Ebert, Teryn K.

PY - 2005/12/16

Y1 - 2005/12/16

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AB - Diffusion is a standard model for the vertical migration of radionuclides in soil profiles. Here we show that diffusivity values inferred from fallout 137CS profiles in soils on the Fortymile Wash alluvial fan, Nye County, Nevada, have a strong inverse correlation with the age of the geomorphic surface. This result suggests that radionuclide-bound particles are predominantly transported by infiltration rather than by bulk-mixing processes such as wetting/ drying, freeze/thaw, and bioturbation. Our results provide a preliminary basis for using soil-geomorphic mapping, point-based calibration data, and the diffusion model to predict radionuclide trans desert soils within a pedotransfer-function approach.

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Geomorphic control of radionuclide diffusion in desert soils

Abstract

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