Cesium-137 acts as a tracer to evaluate the efficiency of conservation methods.
radioactivity
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Traces of Impacts on Warm Planetesimals Early in Solar System
Meteorite NWA 11004 contains evidence of melting preceding an impact dated to 4546±36 Ma. Short lived radioactive decay had already heated the parent body of this meteorite before the impact.
Posted inNews
Radioactive Bookkeeping of Carbon Emissions
A new sampling method uses carbon-14 to single out which carbon dioxide molecules in the atmosphere derive from fossil fuels. The method could help track emissions goals for climate mitigation.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How to Read Atmospheric History Written in Flowstones
Oxygen isotope ratios in cave deposits reflect past climates, but interpreting these data is not straightforward. A new study explores what these ratios really tell us.
Posted inNews
The Dawning of the Age of Old Aquifers
A new technique using 81Kr can measure the age of old groundwater in arid regions. The method can be used as a proxy for past climates and weather patterns.
Posted inNews
Marshall Islands Nuclear Contamination Still Dangerously High
Today’s radiation levels at some locations were higher than in areas affected by the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disasters.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Using Radioactive Tracers to Determine the Ages of Streamflow
Radioactive isotope tracers can be used to determine the relationship between the ages of water that is stored in soil and bedrock, water in streams, and the water used by vegetation.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Increased Release Rates of Radium Isotopes on Arctic Shelves
A longer ice-free season on Arctic shelves causes an increase in sediment-water interaction.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
A New Angle on the Earth’s Radiation Belts
A new empirical model of energetic electrons from Van Allen Probes data includes pitch angle analysis, revealing insights about radiation belt energization and loss processes.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Radiocarbon in the Oceans
Offsets in radiocarbon concentration within the ocean or between the ocean and the atmosphere are particularly useful proxies for a variety of studies.