Marine dispersion of Fukushima-derived radiocesium in the North Pacific and its implications  

作　　者：Tong ZHANG Xiaolin HOU Yukun FAN 

机构地区：[1]State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology,Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application,Xi’an AMS Center,Institute of Earth Environment,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Xi’an 710061,China [2]University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100049,China [3]Xi’an Institute for Innovative Earth Environment Research,Xi’an 710061,China

出　　处：《Science China Earth Sciences》2025年第2期389-406,共18页中国科学(地球科学英文版)

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 22341603);the Key Deployment Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) (Grant No. ZDBS-SSW-DQC003);the Sinoforeign Joint Research Unit Project of the Bureau of International Cooperation, CAS (Grant No. 132B61ZYLH20230013);the Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi (Grant No. 2024JC-YBQN-0308);the Open Fund Project of the State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (Grant No. SKLLQG2306)。

摘　　要：A key scientific approach to addressing the environmental radiation risks from Fukushima nuclear contaminated water(FNCW) discharge into the ocean is understanding and predicting the marine dispersion of radionuclides.The dispersion of radiocesium(CsF:134Cs,137Cs) from the Fukushima nuclear accident in the North Pacific and its marginal seas post-2011 was systematically summarized,focusing on pathways,vertical distribution changes,and transit times.Our research examined CsFdispersion through the Kuroshio Extension and denser central mode water(D-CMW) to the eastern North Pacific,as well as through subtropical mode water(STMW),lighter central mode water(L-CMW),and D-CMW to the subtropical western North Pacific,China Seas,and Sea of Japan.We considered broader implications of CsFdispersion in light of ongoing FNCW discharge.Given this prolonged liquid discharge and Kuroshio Extension’s barrier effect,it is crucial to emphasize the role of CMW besides STMW in transporting FNCW to the subtropical western North Pacific and its marginal seas.Future research should focus on the key mechanism and longitude range of CMW crossing the Kuroshio Extension.Since short-lived134Cs decays rapidly during the storage and dispersion of FNCW,long-lived135Cs and135Cs/137Cs ratios can serve as valuable tracers for detecting and quantifying FNCW.Therefore,there is an urgent need for high-precision analysis of these key radionuclides and their characteristic ratios.To promptly detect,assess,and respond to FNCW intrusion,continuous monitoring and identification of nuclear pollution sources in key ocean currents and straits are critical.Furthermore,interdisciplinary research integrating monitoring with marginal sea circulation dynamics and high-resolution numerical simulations should be a priority.

关 键 词：Fukushima nuclear accident Fukushima nuclear contaminated water Marine dispersion Mode water Kuroshio Extension 

分 类 号：P73[天文地球—海洋科学]