239,240 Pu and 236 U records of an ice core from the eastern Tien Shan (Central Asia)
ABSTRACT Radioisotopes ( 239 Pu, 240 Pu, 236 U) formed during atmospheric nuclear weapons testing (NWT) can be used for dating and therefore be applied as markers of the beginning of the Anthropocene Epoch. Moreover, 240 Pu/ 239 Pu ratios enable source identification (general fallout, local emission...
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Language: | English |
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2017.59 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143017000594 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/jog.2017.59 2024-06-23T07:53:43+00:00 239,240 Pu and 236 U records of an ice core from the eastern Tien Shan (Central Asia) WANG, CHAOMIN HOU, SHUGUI PANG, HONGXI LIU, YAPING GÄGGELER, HEINZ WALTER CHRISTL, MARCUS SYNAL, HANS-ARNO 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2017.59 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143017000594 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Journal of Glaciology volume 63, issue 241, page 929-935 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 journal-article 2017 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2017.59 2024-06-05T04:04:03Z ABSTRACT Radioisotopes ( 239 Pu, 240 Pu, 236 U) formed during atmospheric nuclear weapons testing (NWT) can be used for dating and therefore be applied as markers of the beginning of the Anthropocene Epoch. Moreover, 240 Pu/ 239 Pu ratios enable source identification (general fallout, local emission sources). Ice core segments from a 57.6 m ice core to bedrock from eastern Tien Shan, China were selected for 239,240 Pu and 236 U analyses by using compact low-energy accelerator mass spectrometry. The observed 240 Pu/ 239 Pu atom ratios were 0.18 ± 0.02, with one exception, indicating global fallout. No evidence for emissions from the nearby local sources Lop Nor was observed. The total deposition rates during NWT for 239 Pu and 240 Pu amount to 1.55 × 10 9 atoms·cm −2 and 3.1 × 10 8 atoms·cm −2 , respectively. With the higher undisturbed fallout of 239 Pu compared with values reported for glaciers from European Alps at Col du Dome and Colle Gnifetti as well as from the polar region, the eastern Tien Shan glacier would be an ideal site for defining the start of the Anthropocene. 236 U is a rather new environmental tracer, while little is known about its global fallout from NWT. The observed deposition flux of 236 U during NWT amounts to 3.5 × 10 8 atoms·cm −2 at the drill site. The average 236 U/ 239 Pu ratio of 0.27 ± 0.09 is in good agreement with literature values from global fallout. Article in Journal/Newspaper ice core Journal of Glaciology Cambridge University Press Journal of Glaciology 63 241 929 935 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
ABSTRACT Radioisotopes ( 239 Pu, 240 Pu, 236 U) formed during atmospheric nuclear weapons testing (NWT) can be used for dating and therefore be applied as markers of the beginning of the Anthropocene Epoch. Moreover, 240 Pu/ 239 Pu ratios enable source identification (general fallout, local emission sources). Ice core segments from a 57.6 m ice core to bedrock from eastern Tien Shan, China were selected for 239,240 Pu and 236 U analyses by using compact low-energy accelerator mass spectrometry. The observed 240 Pu/ 239 Pu atom ratios were 0.18 ± 0.02, with one exception, indicating global fallout. No evidence for emissions from the nearby local sources Lop Nor was observed. The total deposition rates during NWT for 239 Pu and 240 Pu amount to 1.55 × 10 9 atoms·cm −2 and 3.1 × 10 8 atoms·cm −2 , respectively. With the higher undisturbed fallout of 239 Pu compared with values reported for glaciers from European Alps at Col du Dome and Colle Gnifetti as well as from the polar region, the eastern Tien Shan glacier would be an ideal site for defining the start of the Anthropocene. 236 U is a rather new environmental tracer, while little is known about its global fallout from NWT. The observed deposition flux of 236 U during NWT amounts to 3.5 × 10 8 atoms·cm −2 at the drill site. The average 236 U/ 239 Pu ratio of 0.27 ± 0.09 is in good agreement with literature values from global fallout. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
WANG, CHAOMIN HOU, SHUGUI PANG, HONGXI LIU, YAPING GÄGGELER, HEINZ WALTER CHRISTL, MARCUS SYNAL, HANS-ARNO |
spellingShingle |
WANG, CHAOMIN HOU, SHUGUI PANG, HONGXI LIU, YAPING GÄGGELER, HEINZ WALTER CHRISTL, MARCUS SYNAL, HANS-ARNO 239,240 Pu and 236 U records of an ice core from the eastern Tien Shan (Central Asia) |
author_facet |
WANG, CHAOMIN HOU, SHUGUI PANG, HONGXI LIU, YAPING GÄGGELER, HEINZ WALTER CHRISTL, MARCUS SYNAL, HANS-ARNO |
author_sort |
WANG, CHAOMIN |
title |
239,240 Pu and 236 U records of an ice core from the eastern Tien Shan (Central Asia) |
title_short |
239,240 Pu and 236 U records of an ice core from the eastern Tien Shan (Central Asia) |
title_full |
239,240 Pu and 236 U records of an ice core from the eastern Tien Shan (Central Asia) |
title_fullStr |
239,240 Pu and 236 U records of an ice core from the eastern Tien Shan (Central Asia) |
title_full_unstemmed |
239,240 Pu and 236 U records of an ice core from the eastern Tien Shan (Central Asia) |
title_sort |
239,240 pu and 236 u records of an ice core from the eastern tien shan (central asia) |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2017.59 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143017000594 |
genre |
ice core Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
ice core Journal of Glaciology |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology volume 63, issue 241, page 929-935 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2017.59 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
63 |
container_issue |
241 |
container_start_page |
929 |
op_container_end_page |
935 |
_version_ |
1802645491266093056 |