Application of Chernobyl-derived 137Cs for the assessment of soil redistribution within a cultivated field

Vast areas 4 Europe were contaminated by the Chemobyl-derived Cs-137 in April-May 1986. This paper reports a detailed study of the post-fallout Cs-137 redistribution within a 1 ha field located in the Chasovenkov Verb catchment in the northern part of the Middle-Russian upland. Particular attention was paid to the study of reference inventories. It is shown that the random spatial variability of Cs-137 is similar within undisturbed and cultivated parts of a flat interfluve. Systematic spatial variability is not essential for a relatively short (200 m) topographical unit with simple relief The analysis of a soil redistribution pattern within the study field using the Chernobyl Cs-137 technique demonstrates that it is possible to identify areas of soil loss/gain. This pattern does not reflect soil redistribution for the whole field, because these have been only 12 years since the Chernobyl accident. Net erosion rates based on Cs-137 method were comparable to soil losses directly measured at the study field. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.