Environmental Radionuclides
Tracers and Timers of Terrestrial Processes
- 1st Edition, Volume 16 - September 23, 2009
- Latest edition
- Editor: Klaus Froehlich
- Language: English
Environmental Radionuclides presents a state-of-the-art summary of knowledge on the use of radionuclides to study processes and systems in the continental part of the Earth’s e… Read more
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Description
Description
Environmental Radionuclides presents a state-of-the-art summary of knowledge on the use of radionuclides to study processes and systems in the continental part of the Earth’s environment. It is conceived as a companion to the two volumes of this series, which deal with isotopes as tracers in the marine environment (Livingston, Marine Radioactivity) and with the radioecology of natural and man-made terrestrial systems (Shaw, Radioactivity in Terrestrial Ecosystems). Although the book focuses on natural and anthropogenic radionuclides (radioactive isotopes), it also refers to stable environmental isotopes, which in a variety of applications, especially in hydrology and climatology, have to be consulted to evaluate radionuclide measurements in terms of the ages of groundwater and climate archives, respectively.
The basic principles underlying the various applications of natural and anthropogenic radionuclides in environmental studies are described in the first part of the book. The book covers the two major groups of applications: the use of radionuclides as tracers for studying transport and mixing processes: and as time markers to address problems of the dynamics of such systems, manifested commonly as the so-called residence time in these systems. The applications range from atmospheric pollution studies, via water resource assessments to contributions to global climate change investigation. The third part of the book addresses new challenges in the development of new methodological approaches, including analytical methods and fields of applications.
Key features
Key features
- A state-of-the-art summary of knowledge on the use of radionuclides
- Conceived as a companion to the two volumes of this series, which deal with isotopes as tracers
Readership
Readership
Table of contents
Table of contents
Radioactivity in the Environment
Contributors
Foreword
Chapter 1 Origin and Distribution of Radionuclides in the Continental Environment
Publisher Summary
1. Introduction
2. Primordial and Natural Decay-Series Radionuclides
3. Cosmogenic Radionuclides
4. Anthropogenic Radionuclides
References
Chapter 2 Radionuclides as Tracers and Timers of Processes in the Continental Environment – Basic Concepts and Methodologies
Publisher Summary
1. Introduction
2. Radioactive Decay – Fundamentals of Radiometric Dating
3. The Concept of Residence Time in Environmental Systems
4. On the Definition of Environmental Tracers
References
Chapter 3 Radionuclides as Tracers of Atmospheric Processes
Publisher Summary
1. Introduction
2. Atmospheric Radionuclides
3. Behaviour of Radionuclides in the Atmosphere
4. Application of Radionuclides in Atmospheric Studies
References
Chapter 4 Radiocarbon as a Tracer in the Global Carbon Cycle
Publisher Summary
1. Introduction
2. Global Distribution of Carbon
3. The Conventional Radiocarbon Dating Technique
4. Methods of Isotope Measurement
5. Definition, Calculation and Reporting of C Isotope Enrichment Values
6. 14C as a Tracer
7. Radiocarbon Literature
8. A Look Forward
References
Chapter 5 Radionuclides as Tracers and Timers in Surface and Groundwater
Publisher Summary
5.1 Surface Water, Unsaturated Zone, and Glacial Systems
5.3 Dynamics and Pollution of Groundwater
References
Chapter 6 Examining Processes and Rates of Landscape Change with Cosmogenic Radionuclides
Publisher Summary
1. Introduction
2. Principles of Cosmogenic Nuclide Research
3. Mineral–Nuclide Pairs
4. Determining Rates of Landscape Evolution with Cosmogenic Nuclides
5. New Directions and Outlook
Acknowledgments
References
Chapter 7 Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Studies Using Environmental Radionuclides
Publisher Summary
1. Introduction
2. Radionuclides as Tracers of Soil Movement
3. Standardisation of the 137Cs Technique to Measure Soil Erosion/Deposition
4. Recent Developments of Fallout Radionuclide Techniques
5. Applications of Fallout Radionuclides in Soil Erosion/Sedimentation Studies
6. Future Research
7. Concluding Remarks
References
Chapter 8 Isotopic Tracers in Climatology
Publisher Summary
1. Introduction
2. Role of Environmental Isotopes in Understanding Climate Changes
3. Environmental Stable Isotopes and Radionuclides in Palaeo-Climatic Archives
4. Conclusions
Acknowledgements
References
Chapter 9 Analysis of Radionuclides
Publisher Summary
1. Introduction
2. Radiometry
3. Isotopic Enrichment
4. Mass Spectrometry
5. Future Perspectives
References
Author Index
Subject Index
Product details
Product details
- Edition: 1
- Latest edition
- Volume: 16
- Published: October 22, 2009
- Language: English