Plutonium Concentrations from Antarctic Ice Core

351 ice core samples from a 78-meter depth in East Antarctica were analyzed for artificial plutonium concentrations. The data originates from atmospheric nuclear weapons tests conducted between the 1940s and 1980s. The analysis was performed by AMD_KOPRI using inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry and the dataset was last updated in October 2018.

Use Cases

• Modeling the deposition history of atmospheric plutonium fallout using sample depth and concentration data.
• Correlating plutonium concentration peaks with known years of major atmospheric nuclear tests.
• Analyzing the spatial distribution of fallout by comparing this Antarctic core data with records from other geographic locations.
• Calibrating ice core chronologies using known plutonium injection events as temporal markers.

Strengths

• 351 analyzed ice core samples provide a substantial record.
• Samples cover a 78-meter depth profile, offering a multi-decadal temporal resolution.
• Analysis used high-precision mass spectrometry with small sample consumption.

Limitations

• Sample size is limited to a single ice core from one Antarctic location (GV7 site).
• The temporal coverage ends with data from the 1980s, lacking recent decades.
• Specific column names, data formats, and exact measurement units are unknown.

Provenance

Source

AMD_KOPRI, via NASA EarthData.

Collection Method

Inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry analysis of ice core samples.

Time Range

Covers fallout from atmospheric nuclear tests circa 1940s to 1980s.

Freshness

Last updated in 2018; no update frequency specified.

Geography

Single ice core site GV7 in Northern Victoria Land, East Antarctica (S 70°41'17.1", E 158°51'48.9", 1950 m a.s.l.).