RADIONUCLIDES AND WIND EROSION

Year 2018, Volume: 1 Issue: 1, 5 - 13, 29.06.2018

Mücahit Karaoğlu

Abstract

Wind erosion is effective on 500 million ha of land in
arid and semi-arid regions where annual precipitation is less than 500 mm such
as Aralik-Igdir, Turkey; whereas, both naturally and artificially radionuclides
are almost spread over the whole earth. Humankind inevitably encountered
radionuclides in July, 1945 when nuclear era started by tentatively making
burst a blast in New Mexico, USA. Creep, saltation, and suspension are three
different effects of wind erosion on soils. Quite small particles (<100 µm)
are transported over a great distance and kept aloft for a long time.
Radionuclides are also moved and carried away as soil-bonded ones and
radioactive aerosols due to wind erosion caused by strong winds. This fact is
evaluated as different by each science. Some radionuclide movements are an
important method for exploring soil redistribution by wind due to their
strongly adsorbing to soil particles. Although ¹³⁷Cs
is the most commonly preferred anthropogenic radioisotope used to assess soil
redistribution rates, ^239+240Pu has been recently started to be used
as a tracer. I want to emphasize that wind erosion area of Aralik-Igdir, Turkey is waiting to be explored.

Keywords

Radionuclides, half-life, Wind erosion, 137Cs and 239+240Pu, Wind erosion area of Aralik-Igdir, Turkey

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