Insight Into Radio-Isotope I-129 Deposition in Fresh Snow at a Remote Glacier Basin of Northeast Tibetan Plateau, China

• Published in: Geophysical Research Letters
• Main Authors: Dong, Zhiwen, Shao, Yaping, Qin, Dahe, Zhang, Luyuan, Hou, Xiaolin, Wei, Ting, Kang, Shichang, Qin, Xiang
• Format: Report
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: I-129; Human Nuclear Activities; Elevational Distribution; Glacier Snowpack; Pollution Transport In Troposphere; Science & Technology; Physical Sciences; ATMOSPHERIC FALLOUT; ICE CORE; FUKUSHIMA; PRECIPITATION; GERMANY; RADIONUCLIDES; SPECIATION; SEAWATER; WATERS; JAPAN; Geology; Geosciences; Multidisciplinary; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Fukushima; Antarc*; ice core
• Online Access: http://ir.ieecas.cn/handle/361006/5090; https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL078480

We present data of I-129 deposition in fresh snow in the Laohugou glacier basin, northeast Tibetan Plateau, in summer 2016 and 2017, and trace its source and elevational distribution in the troposphere. Our results show that the I-129/I-127 atomic ratios in the fresh snow on the glacier surface are about 2 orders of magnitude larger than those in the Antarctic fresh snow and 4 orders the prenuclear level, indicating a predominantly anthropogenic source of the I-129 in the mountain glacier environment of northeast Tibetan Plateau. The I-129 level in the Laohugou glacier basin is 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than at representative European locations, and not significantly higher than that observed at other sites in Asia. The I-129/I-127 atomic ratio and I-129 level show clear increases with elevation from 4,300 to 5,100m above sea level. The I-129 in the Laohugou glacier basin is probably deposited from the upper troposphere where there exists a local maximum of I-129. A conceptual model for interpretation of the observed I-129 concentration and profile in Laohugou is provided. Thus, this work is of importance in providing a more complete view on the transport, dispersion, and removal of I-129 in the atmosphere.