ALO docView - Tritium Profiles in Two Firn Cores from Alpine Glaciers and Tritium Content in Precipitation in the Alpine Area (1969)

551.510.721 : 551.324.84: 551.577 (234. 3)

Institute of Physics, University of Innsbruck, and International Atomic Energy

Agency, Vienna

Tritium Profiles in Two Firn Cores from Alpine Glaciers

and Tritium Content in Precipitation in the Alpine Area

W. Ambach, H. Eisner, and G. Sauzay

With 6 Figures

Received January 29, 1969

Summary

In the present study an attempt is made to evaluate by means of two firn

profiles the tritium concentration of precipitation in the Alps for the period of

1953 to 1961. In this connection the disturbing effect exerted by contamination

of the firn samples by the atmospheric moisture during the collection of the

samples was considered and the dating of samples was made with the resulting

correction.

Zusammenfassung

Tritiumprofile von zwei Firnbohrproben aus alpinen Gletschern und Tritiumgehalt

des Niederschlages in den Alpen

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird versucht, an zwei Firnprofilen die Tritium¬

konzentration des Niederschlages im Alpenraum für die Zeit von 1953 bis 1961

zu rekonstruieren. Dabei muß eine störende Kontamination der Firnproben durch

Luftfeuchtigkeit berücksichtigt werden und die Datierung der Proben möglich sein.

1. Introduction

During the period between 1953 and 1963 large amounts of tri¬

tium were injected to the atmosphere by thermonuclear tests made

in 1954, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1962 and 1963 [1]. Thermonuclear tri¬

tium is transferred from the atmosphere to the surface of the earth

by precipitation and molecular exchange, the same way as cosmic-

ray produced tritium.