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Sediments and Water Interactions pp 437–449Cite as

Radionuclides as Tracers for Sedimentation and Remobilization Processes in the Ocean and in Lakes

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Abstract

This contribution provides an overview of the use of radionuclides in aquatic sciences to study trace element-suspended particle and sediment-water interactions in the ocean and in lakes. Radionuclide involvement in geochemical processes is evaluated. The critical processes include the role of plankton and colloids in the vertical transport of stable and radioactive trace elements, the migration of radionuclides to and from horizontal boundaries, and the remobilization of solutes and particles from sediments. The matching of the time scale of the geochemical process to be studied by the radioactive half-life of the nuclide or by the other geophysical processes involved (such as the mixing or flow of water or the movement of particles) is of primary importance. The use of multiple tracers with either different radioactive decay times in the field, or with different chemical properties in experimental systems, is a very promising holistic approach that may constrain the effect of interrelated processes. These approaches are applicable to many current problems in limnological and oceanographic research.

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  1. Peter Santschi
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  1. National Water Research Institute, Canada Centre for Inland Waters (CCIW), L7R 4A6, Burlington, Ontario, Canada

    Peter G. Sly

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Santschi, P. (1986). Radionuclides as Tracers for Sedimentation and Remobilization Processes in the Ocean and in Lakes. In: Sly, P.G. (eds) Sediments and Water Interactions. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4932-0_38

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4932-0_38

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