[ RadSafe ] More insight into radioactive salt marshes

[Cary Renquist]

An attention grabbing headline...


More insight into radioactive salt marshes 
Short url:
<http://bit.ly/79q5g0>

...
The biologist used a novel method for studying the salt marshes: she
analysed the gamma radiation naturally present in the sand and the clay
of the salt marsh. Most sediments contain small amounts of radioactive
elements that emit low levels of gamma radiation. This enabled her to
determine the composition of the soil in the salt marshes. She combined
the new radiometric method with measurements using a soil corer. She
discovered that heavy storms deposit sand on the salt marshes about once
every decade, which is far more frequent than was thought until now. The
contribution of this sand to the total increase in soil elevation of the
salt marsh appears to be small however, meaning that 'normal'
sedimentation is by far the most important factor for the growth of the
salt marshes.
...


Cary
--
Cary.renquist at ezag.com