Document Type

Article

Abstract

We measured the activities of 210Pb, 226Ra, 238U and 137Cs in a suite of ice-rafted sediments (IRS) from the Arctic Ocean in an attempt to assess the interaction of sea ice sediments and surface water. The concentrations of these nuclides were compared to those of the benthic sediments in the coastal and shelf regions of the Arctic Ocean, which are believed to be the major source region for the IRS. The concentration factors (CF = activity of a nuclide in IRS/average activity in benthic sediments) are ∼1 and 4-92 for 137Cs and 210Pb, respectively. The CF values for 137Cs are comparable to the values that can be obtained from the previously published data while we report the first set of high CF values of 210Pb. A major portion of 210Pb in some IRS samples is likely derived from surface waters and thus, the concentrations of 210Pb combined with another particle-reactive radionuclide (such as 7Be, 234Th) in IRS might provide information on the residence time and transit time of sea ice-laden sediments.

Disciplines

Geology | Oceanography | Sedimentology

Comments

NOTICE IN COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLISHER POLICY: Copyright © 2005 American Geophysical Union. Available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2004GL022191. Further reproduction or electronic distribution is not permitted.

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