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The fallout rate of PB‐210 on the western coast of the United States
Author(s) -
Fuller Christopher,
Hammond Douglas E.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl010i012p01164
Subject(s) - environmental science , deposition (geology) , longitude , precipitation , atmospheric sciences , salt marsh , salt lake , physical geography , climatology , oceanography , geology , meteorology , latitude , geography , geomorphology , geodesy , sediment , structural basin
The deposition rate of atmospheric Pb‐210 has been measured during a one year period using plastic funnels as collectors. Observed rates were 0.15 dpm cm −2 yr −1 at a site in Palo Alto, California and 0.21 dpm cm −2 yr −1 at a site in Los Angeles. The Palo Alto value agrees well with a long‐term average of 0.14 dpm cm −2 yr −1 , obtained from a nearby salt marsh core. These rates are only one‐third of those previously estimated using global models for Pb‐210 fallout and indicate the need to consider both longitude and precipitation as factors controlling fallout rates. More than 75% of the Pb‐210 fallout occurs as wet deposition at the Los Angles site.