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GIS supported calculations of Cs-137 deposition in Sweden based on precipitation data

Almgren, Sara ; Nilsson, Elisabeth ; Erlandsson, Bengt LU and Isaksson, Mats (2006) In Science of the Total Environment 368(2-3). p.804-813
Abstract
It is of interest to know the spatial variation and the amount of Cs-137 e.g. in case of an accident with a radioactive discharge. In this study, the spatial distribution of the quarterly Cs-137 deposition over Sweden due to nuclear weapons fallout (NWF) during the period 1962-1966 was determined by relating the measured deposition density at a reference site to the amount of precipitation. Measured quarterly values of Cs-137 deposition density per unit precipitation at three reference sites and quarterly precipitation at 62 weather stations distributed over Sweden were used in the calculations. The reference sites were assumed to represent areas with different quarterly mean precipitation. The extent of these areas was determined from the... (More)
It is of interest to know the spatial variation and the amount of Cs-137 e.g. in case of an accident with a radioactive discharge. In this study, the spatial distribution of the quarterly Cs-137 deposition over Sweden due to nuclear weapons fallout (NWF) during the period 1962-1966 was determined by relating the measured deposition density at a reference site to the amount of precipitation. Measured quarterly values of Cs-137 deposition density per unit precipitation at three reference sites and quarterly precipitation at 62 weather stations distributed over Sweden were used in the calculations. The reference sites were assumed to represent areas with different quarterly mean precipitation. The extent of these areas was determined from the distribution of the mean measured precipitation between 1961 and 1990 and varied according to seasonal variations in the mean precipitation pattern. Deposition maps were created by interpolation within a geographical information system (GIS). Both integrated (total) and cumulative (decay corrected) deposition densities were calculated. The lowest levels of NWF Cs-137 deposition density were noted in north-eastern and eastern parts of Sweden and the highest levels in the western parts of Sweden. Furthermore the deposition density of Cs-137 resulting from the Chernobyl accident was determined for an area in western Sweden based on precipitation data. The highest levels of Chernobyl Cs-137 in western Sweden were found in the western parts of the area along the coast and the lowest in the east. The sum of the deposition densities from NWF and Chernobyl in western Sweden was then compared to the total activity measured in soil samples at 27 locations. Comparisons between the predicted values of this study show a good agreement with measured values and other studies. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
caesium, precipitation, deposition, NWF, Chernobyl, GIS
in
Science of the Total Environment
volume
368
issue
2-3
pages
804 - 813
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:16647743
  • wos:000240270700032
  • scopus:33746718716
ISSN
1879-1026
DOI
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2006.03.020
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Nuclear Physics (Faculty of Technology) (011013007)
id
d5c5823d-3edf-4d14-aa5f-47f25d66cf77 (old id 394327)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:33:39
date last changed
2022-01-27 06:44:09
@article{d5c5823d-3edf-4d14-aa5f-47f25d66cf77,
  abstract     = {{It is of interest to know the spatial variation and the amount of Cs-137 e.g. in case of an accident with a radioactive discharge. In this study, the spatial distribution of the quarterly Cs-137 deposition over Sweden due to nuclear weapons fallout (NWF) during the period 1962-1966 was determined by relating the measured deposition density at a reference site to the amount of precipitation. Measured quarterly values of Cs-137 deposition density per unit precipitation at three reference sites and quarterly precipitation at 62 weather stations distributed over Sweden were used in the calculations. The reference sites were assumed to represent areas with different quarterly mean precipitation. The extent of these areas was determined from the distribution of the mean measured precipitation between 1961 and 1990 and varied according to seasonal variations in the mean precipitation pattern. Deposition maps were created by interpolation within a geographical information system (GIS). Both integrated (total) and cumulative (decay corrected) deposition densities were calculated. The lowest levels of NWF Cs-137 deposition density were noted in north-eastern and eastern parts of Sweden and the highest levels in the western parts of Sweden. Furthermore the deposition density of Cs-137 resulting from the Chernobyl accident was determined for an area in western Sweden based on precipitation data. The highest levels of Chernobyl Cs-137 in western Sweden were found in the western parts of the area along the coast and the lowest in the east. The sum of the deposition densities from NWF and Chernobyl in western Sweden was then compared to the total activity measured in soil samples at 27 locations. Comparisons between the predicted values of this study show a good agreement with measured values and other studies.}},
  author       = {{Almgren, Sara and Nilsson, Elisabeth and Erlandsson, Bengt and Isaksson, Mats}},
  issn         = {{1879-1026}},
  keywords     = {{caesium; precipitation; deposition; NWF; Chernobyl; GIS}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2-3}},
  pages        = {{804--813}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Science of the Total Environment}},
  title        = {{GIS supported calculations of Cs-137 deposition in Sweden based on precipitation data}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2006.03.020}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.scitotenv.2006.03.020}},
  volume       = {{368}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}