137 Cs is an artificial radionuclide with a half-life of 30.2 years,which was released into the environment as a byproduct of atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons during the period of 1950s to 1970s with a peak deposition in 1963.137 Cs fallout was strongly and rapidly adsorbed by soil particles when it deposited on the ground mostly with precipitation.Its following movements will associate with the adsorbed particles.137 Cs tracing technique has been widely used in soil erosion and sedimentation studies since 1980s.This paper introduces the basis of the technique and shows several case studies of assessment of soil erosion rates,investigation of sediment sources and dating of reservoir deposits by using the technique in the Loess Plateau and the Upper Yangtze River Basin.
This contribution analyzes the similarities and differences between the measured activities of 137Cs and excess 210Pb(210Pbex) in the cultivated brown and cinnamon soils of the Yimeng Mountain area, discusses the influence of soil texture on the measurement of 210Pbex, and presents differences between the two types of soils. Fields A and B were selected to represent the fields that contain cultivated brown and cinnamon soils, respectively. From either study field, one site of sectioned core and six bulk cores were collected to measure 137Cs levels, 210Pbex levels, and the particle-size composition of soil samples. Three undisturbed soil samples were collected to measure capillary and aeration porosities. The 137Cs inventories for the two study fields are very similar. The 137Cs is a man-made radionuclide, which means that its measured levels for soils are unaffected by soil texture. In contrast, levels of the naturally occurring 210Pbex of soils from Field A were lower than those of Field B by about 50%. In contrast to aquatic sediments, levels of 210Pbex in terrestrial surface soils are affected by the emanation of 222Rn from the soils. It can be assumed that the coarser the soils, the greater the emanation of 222Rn; in addition, the lower the measured 210Pbex, the greater the underestimate of this value. The cultivated brown soils in Field A are coarser than the cultivated cinnamon soils in Field B. As a result, 222Rn in Field A will diffuse more easily into the atmosphere than that in Field B. As a consequence, the measured 210Pbex in soils from Field A is much lower than the actual value, whereas the value measured for Field B is much closer to the actual value.
The existing^(210)Pb_(ex)mass balance models for the assessment of cultivated soil erosion are based on an assumption that^(210)Pb_(ex)is quite evenly mixed within the plough layer.However,the amount of^(210)Pb_(ex)distributed in the soils below the plough depth,like a downward tail in the lower part of the^(210)Pb_(ex)profile,has been largely ignored.In fact,after the initial cultivation of undisturbed soils,^(210)Pb_(ex)will diffuse downward from plough layer to the plough pan layer due to the concentration gradient.Assuming^(210)Pb_(ex)inventory is constant,the depth distribution in the two layers of the cultivated soils will achieve a steady state after continuous cultivation for 10.37 years,when^(210)Pb_(ex)is evenly distributed in the soils of the plough layer with an exponential concentration decline with depth in the soils of the plough pan layer,and the^(210)Pb_(ex)concentration at any depth will be invariable with time.The work reported in this paper attempts to explain the formation of the^(210)Pb_(ex)tail in the soil profile below the plough depth by theoretical derivation of the^(210)Pb_(ex)depth distribution process in the two layers of the cultivated soils,propose a^(210)Pb_(ex)mass balance model considering^(210)Pb_(ex)diffusion based on the existing model,and discuss the influence of the^(210)Pb_(ex)tail to the existing model.
Soil erosion and associated off-site sedimentation are threatening the sustainable use of the Three Gorges Dam.To initiate management intervention to reduce sediment yields,there is an increasing need for reliable information on soil erosion in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region(TGRR).The purpose of this study is to use 137 Cs tracing methods to construct a sediment budget for a small agricultural catchment in the TGRR.Cores were taken from a pond and from paddy fields,for 137 Cs measurements.The results show that the average sedimentation rate in the pond since 1963 is 1.50 g cm-2 yr-1 and the corresponding amount of sediment deposited is 1,553 t.The surface erosion rate for the sloping cultivated lands and the sedimentation rate in the paddy fields were estimated to be 3,770 t km-2 yr-1 and 2,600 t km-2 yr-1,respectively.Based on the estimated erosion and deposition rates,and the area of each unit,the post 1970 sediment budget for the catchment has been constructed.A sediment delivery ratio of 0.5 has been estimated for the past 42 years.The data indicate that the sloping cultivated lands are the primary sediment source areas,and that the paddy fields are deposition zones.The typical land use pattern(with the upper parts characterized by sloping cultivated land and the lower parts by paddy fields) plays an important role in reducing sediment yield from agricultural catchments in the TGRR.A 137 Cs profile for the sediment deposited in a pond is shown to provide an effective means of estimating the land surface erosion rate in the upstream catchment.
