Rainfall erosivity in catchments contaminated with fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (FDNPP) accident in March 2011 resulted in the fallout of significant quantities of radiocesium over the Fukushima region. After reaching the soil surface, radiocesium is quickly bound to fine soil particles. Thereafter, rainfall and snowmelt run-off events...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2016-06-01
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| Series: | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/20/2467/2016/hess-20-2467-2016.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818381612930301952 |
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| author | J. P. Laceby C. Chartin O. Evrard Y. Onda L. Garcia-Sanchez O. Cerdan |
| author_facet | J. P. Laceby C. Chartin O. Evrard Y. Onda L. Garcia-Sanchez O. Cerdan |
| author_sort | J. P. Laceby |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (FDNPP) accident in March 2011
resulted in the fallout of significant quantities of radiocesium over the
Fukushima region. After reaching the soil surface, radiocesium is quickly
bound to fine soil particles. Thereafter, rainfall and snowmelt run-off
events transfer particle-bound radiocesium downstream. Characterizing the
precipitation regime of the fallout-impacted region is thus important for
understanding post-deposition radiocesium dynamics. Accordingly, 10 min
(1995–2015) and daily precipitation data (1977–2015) from 42 meteorological stations within a 100 km radius of the FDNPP were analyzed. Monthly rainfall erosivity maps were developed to depict the spatial heterogeneity of rainfall erosivity for catchments entirely contained within this radius. The mean average precipitation in the region surrounding the FDNPP is 1420 mm yr<sup>−1</sup> (SD 235) with a mean rainfall erosivity of
3696 MJ mm ha<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup> (SD 1327). Tropical cyclones contribute 22 % of the precipitation (422 mm yr<sup>−1</sup>) and 40 % of
the rainfall erosivity (1462 MJ mm ha<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup>
(SD 637)). The majority of precipitation (60 %) and rainfall erosivity
(82 %) occurs between June and October. At a regional scale, rainfall
erosivity increases from the north to the south during July and August, the
most erosive months. For the remainder of the year, this gradient occurs
mostly from northwest to southeast. Relief features strongly influence the
spatial distribution of rainfall erosivity at a smaller scale, with the
coastal plains and coastal mountain range having greater rainfall erosivity
than the inland Abukuma River valley. Understanding these patterns,
particularly their spatial and temporal (both inter- and intraannual)
variation, is important for contextualizing soil and particle-bound
radiocesium transfers in the Fukushima region. Moreover, understanding the
impact of tropical cyclones will be important for managing sediment and
sediment-bound contaminant transfers in regions impacted by these events. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T02:37:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7ec53e22c6a34d34889d3dd6d344d195 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1027-5606 1607-7938 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T02:37:21Z |
| publishDate | 2016-06-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-7ec53e22c6a34d34889d3dd6d344d1952022-12-21T23:20:06ZengCopernicus PublicationsHydrology and Earth System Sciences1027-56061607-79382016-06-012062467248210.5194/hess-20-2467-2016Rainfall erosivity in catchments contaminated with fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accidentJ. P. Laceby0C. Chartin1O. Evrard2Y. Onda3L. Garcia-Sanchez4O. Cerdan5Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA-CNRS-UVSQ/IPSL), Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, FranceGeorges Lemaître Centre for Earth and Climate Research, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain, BelgiumLaboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA-CNRS-UVSQ/IPSL), Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, FranceGraduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Center for Research in Isotopes and Environmental Dynamics (CRIED), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, JapanLaboratoire de Biogéochimie, Biodisponibilité et Transferts de Radionucléides, IRSN/PRP-ENV/SERIS/L2BT, Cadarache, FranceBureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières, Orléans, FranceThe Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (FDNPP) accident in March 2011 resulted in the fallout of significant quantities of radiocesium over the Fukushima region. After reaching the soil surface, radiocesium is quickly bound to fine soil particles. Thereafter, rainfall and snowmelt run-off events transfer particle-bound radiocesium downstream. Characterizing the precipitation regime of the fallout-impacted region is thus important for understanding post-deposition radiocesium dynamics. Accordingly, 10 min (1995–2015) and daily precipitation data (1977–2015) from 42 meteorological stations within a 100 km radius of the FDNPP were analyzed. Monthly rainfall erosivity maps were developed to depict the spatial heterogeneity of rainfall erosivity for catchments entirely contained within this radius. The mean average precipitation in the region surrounding the FDNPP is 1420 mm yr<sup>−1</sup> (SD 235) with a mean rainfall erosivity of 3696 MJ mm ha<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup> (SD 1327). Tropical cyclones contribute 22 % of the precipitation (422 mm yr<sup>−1</sup>) and 40 % of the rainfall erosivity (1462 MJ mm ha<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup> (SD 637)). The majority of precipitation (60 %) and rainfall erosivity (82 %) occurs between June and October. At a regional scale, rainfall erosivity increases from the north to the south during July and August, the most erosive months. For the remainder of the year, this gradient occurs mostly from northwest to southeast. Relief features strongly influence the spatial distribution of rainfall erosivity at a smaller scale, with the coastal plains and coastal mountain range having greater rainfall erosivity than the inland Abukuma River valley. Understanding these patterns, particularly their spatial and temporal (both inter- and intraannual) variation, is important for contextualizing soil and particle-bound radiocesium transfers in the Fukushima region. Moreover, understanding the impact of tropical cyclones will be important for managing sediment and sediment-bound contaminant transfers in regions impacted by these events.http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/20/2467/2016/hess-20-2467-2016.pdf |
| spellingShingle | J. P. Laceby C. Chartin O. Evrard Y. Onda L. Garcia-Sanchez O. Cerdan Rainfall erosivity in catchments contaminated with fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| title | Rainfall erosivity in catchments contaminated with fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident |
| title_full | Rainfall erosivity in catchments contaminated with fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident |
| title_fullStr | Rainfall erosivity in catchments contaminated with fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rainfall erosivity in catchments contaminated with fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident |
| title_short | Rainfall erosivity in catchments contaminated with fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident |
| title_sort | rainfall erosivity in catchments contaminated with fallout from the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant accident |
| url | http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/20/2467/2016/hess-20-2467-2016.pdf |
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