Pu-239,Pu-240 and U-236 records of an ice core from the eastern Tien Shan (Central Asia)

Radioisotopes (239Pu, 240Pu, 236U) 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, 240Pu/239Pu 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 239,240Pu and 236U analyses by using compact low-energy accelerator mass spectrometry. The observed 240Pu/239Pu 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 239Pu and 240Pu amount to 1.55 × 109 atoms·cm−2 and 3.1 × 108 atoms·cm−2, respectively. With the higher undisturbed fallout of 239Pu 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. 236U is a rather new environmental tracer, while little is known about its global fallout from NWT. The observed deposition flux of 236U during NWT amounts to 3.5 × 108 atoms·cm−2 at the drill site. The average 236U/239Pu ratio of 0.27 ± 0.09 is in good agreement with literature values from global fallout.ISSN:0022-1430ISSN:1727-565

Accelerator mass spectrometry of particle-bound ¹⁰Be

In the framework EU Project STACCATO (Influence of Stratosphere–Troposphere Exchange in A Changing Climate on Atmospheric Transport and Oxidation Capacity), the first long-term, simultaneous monitoring of the two cosmogenic radionuclides 7Be and 10Be was performed. Emphasis was paid to a high-resolution record of the data, too. A comprehensive data set was created in order to validate model calculations and to provide an independent estimate of the strength of atmospheric transport processes, such as stratosphere–troposphere exchange. For that reason, particle-bound beryllium isotopes were collected at three high-alpine meteorological stations: at Sonnblick (Austria), Zugspitze (Germany) and Jungfraujoch (Switzerland), respectively. A total of 400 daily or bi-daily 10Be measurements are now available. While 7Be sampling and measurement processes are well standardized, the determination of 10Be concentrations using AMS is more complicated. For that reason an extensive description of the 10Be measurement is given. Moreover, the basic characteristics of the 10Be/7Be ratios are presented, leading to a mean annual value of 2.08 and 1.82 for Jungfraujoch and Zugspitze, respectively. Analysis in combination with meteorological parameters shows the usefulness of the ratio as an index of stratosphere-to-troposphere transport (STT), especially when wet scavenging becomes important. Regression analysis of the 10Be/7Be ratio with 7Be, 10Be and relative humidity revealed that the ratio is virtually independent from the effect of wet scavenging while inspection of the weather patterns related to the highest ratios indicated the presence of typical patterns for stratospheric intrusions. Nevertheless, although the 10Be/7Be ratio can be successful in identifying certain STT cases it is a difficult parameter for an automated stratospheric intrusion detection algorithm