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137
Cs
ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCES
Edited by David M. Karl, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, and approved December 2, 2014 (received for review July 28, 2014)
Fig. 1. Map showing the location of the site of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in Japan. Stations are indicated at which seawater
samples were collected in 20112014 on Line P and in 2012 in the Beaufort Sea. Box B represents the model domain for which Fukushima-derived 137Cs timeseries concentrations were estimated by Behrens and colleagues (6). Station R is the cross-shelf regime for which the Rossi and colleagues (7, 8) model results
apply. (Inset) Sampling station locations along Line P. Dashed curves are time-averaged streamlines representing the mean dynamic height field for 2002
2012, indicating the northward geostrophic transport of the Alaska Current across Line P.
ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCES
Fig. 2. (A) Water-depth profiles of 134,137Cs measured at stations P4 and P26 in June 2011, June 2012, June 2013, and February 2014 (from left to right)
illustrate the arrival of 134Cs and 137Cs from the Fukushima accident on Line P. In 2011, 134Cs was below the detection limit (dashed line) at both stations, but
was measurable (concentrations and detection limit are decay-corrected to April 6, 2011) at station P26 in 2012 and at both stations P4 and P26 in 2013 and
2014. (B) Water-depth section of Fukushima 137Cs concentrations (calculated from decay-corrected 134Cs concentrations) on Line P in June 2013 shows an
eastward, decreasing 137Cs concentration gradient from station P26 to station P1 in the surface mixed layer that reflects 137Cs transport from Fukushima onto
the continental shelf. Negligible Fukushima 137Cs had been transported below 150 m by June 2013.
Table 1. Time series for total 137Cs and Fukushima 137Cs results (2 sigma uncertainties) for given water depths for
stations P4 (longitude 126.67W; latitude 48.67N) and P26 (longitude 145.00W; latitude 50.00N)
Station P4
Mission and depth, m
June 2011
5
100
200
300
400
600
800
1000
June 2012
5
50
100
150
200
300
400
500
600
June 2013
0
50
100
150
200
300
400
500
600
February 2014
0
50
100
150
200
300
Total
137
Cs, Bq/m
Station P26
Fukushima
137
Cs, Bq/m
Total
137
Cs, Bq/m
Fukushima
137
Cs, Bq/m3
1.09
1.42
1.25
0.88
0.68
0.47
0.20
0.10
0.14
0.20
0.16
0.14
0.10
0.08
0.06
0.04
bd
bd
bd
bd
bd
bd
bd
bd
1.28
1.46
0.96
0.86
0.68
0.34
0.17
0.11
0.19
0.13
0.14
0.13
0.10
0.08
0.05
0.05
bd
bd
bd
bd
bd
bd
bd
bd
1.69
1.78
1.58
1.35
1.41
1.24
0.90
0.60
0.56
0.25
0.26
0.20
0.22
0.22
0.25
0.12
0.16
0.07
bd
bd
bd
bd
bd
bd
bd
bd
bd
1.84
1.63
1.34
1.18
0.87
0.79
0.70
0.40
0.48
0.15
0.14
0.11
0.15
0.17
0.11
0.12
0.09
0.10
0.30 0.16
0.36 0.13
0.19 0.07
bd
bd
bd
bd
bd
bd
1.38
1.63
1.79
1.50
1.42
1.00
0.95
0.72
0.61
0.13
0.18
0.22
0.16
0.22
0.19
0.19
0.16
0.15
0.38 0.14
0.64 0.15
0.23 0.16
bd
bd
bd
bd
bd
bd
2.01
2.01
1.75
1.62
0.97
0.71
0.62
0.57
0.51
0.18
0.31
0.14
0.18
0.13
0.14
0.17
0.13
0.15
0.76 0.12
0.79 0.23
0.53 0.21
bd
bd
bd
bd
bd
bd
1.65
1.79
1.60
1.44
1.29
1.25
0.14
0.15
0.16
0.15
0.15
0.16
0.66 0.14
0.58 0.18
0.38 0.14
bd
bd
bd
3.64
3.58
2.89
2.84
1.37
0.81
0.29
0.28
0.17
0.20
0.13
0.26
2.03
2.11
1.21
1.12
0.41
0.30
0.25
0.41
0.36
0.11
bd
Fukushima 137Cs is calculated from 134Cs measurement, as outlined in the text. All data are decay-corrected to April 6, 2011.
levels below the detection limit of 0.13 Bq/m3 at the time of measurement are listed as bd.
134
Cs
0.31
0.38
0.32
0.37
0.23
0.24
0.15
0.29
0.26
0.16
0.34
0.22
0.40
0.42
0.48
0.51
0.52
134
Cs levels were below the detection limit of 0.13 Bq/m3 in all samples.
Behrens
Sta. P26
Sta. P4
10
1960
1980
2000
2020
Year
0
2010
2012
Fukushima
accident
2014
2016
2018
2020
Year
ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCES
1.16
1.60
1.23
1.54
1.56
1.75
1.49
1.80
1.73
1.21
1.06
1.70
4.10
4.30
4.00
3.50
3.10
Cs (Bq/m )
71.388
71.388
71.388
76.016
76.016
76.016
76.018
76.018
76.018
72.611
72.611
72.611
72.611
72.611
72.611
72.611
72.611
Cs, Bq/m
Fallout
137
151.773
151.773
151.773
160.261
160.261
160.261
175.292
175.292
175.292
144.702
144.702
144.702
144.702
144.702
144.702
144.702
144.702
Latitude, N
Cs (Bq/m )
5
51
161
5
72
207
6
30
168
7
51
102
203
405
608
810
1015
Longitude, W
137
BL2
BL2
BL2
TU1
TU1
TU1
CAP-10
CAP-10
CAP-10
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
Depth, m
Rossi
137
Fukushima
Station
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