Subsurface dispersion path and travel time of radiocesium from Fukushima by Mode Water
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident on March 11, 2011 resulted in the release of immense amounts of radioactive materials into the ocean. However, the dispersion of radioactive materials in the subsurface has not yet been clarified due to the spatiotemporal limitation of obser...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1104786/full |
| _version_ | 1811168318731583488 |
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| author | Seung-Tae Lee Jihun Jung Guebuem Kim Yong-Jin Tak Yang-Ki Cho |
| author_facet | Seung-Tae Lee Jihun Jung Guebuem Kim Yong-Jin Tak Yang-Ki Cho |
| author_sort | Seung-Tae Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident on March 11, 2011 resulted in the release of immense amounts of radioactive materials into the ocean. However, the dispersion of radioactive materials in the subsurface has not yet been clarified due to the spatiotemporal limitation of observations. Thus, herein, a tracer experiment was implemented using a three-dimensional numerical model to estimate the dispersion path of 137Cs released directly from the FDNPP and its travel time in the subsurface of the North Pacific Ocean from 2011 to 2020. The results show that the subsurface 137Cs spreads by two mode waters, namely, Sub-Tropical Mode Water (STMW) and Central Mode Water (CMW). Subsurface 137Cs primarily spreads clockwise in the sub-tropical region, while a portion driven by STMW is dispersed southward. The clockwise dispersion path of 137Cs released into the ocean by STMW is relatively shallower and inward than that by CMW. The 137Cs that was spread clockwise reached the east of Taiwan and the Philippines via STMW and CMW nine years after the accident, respectively. The model described in this study is applicable for estimating the water path and travel time of tritium water planned to be discharged from Fukushima. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T16:24:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fde406158fa44b86bbe52e82f2f2a759 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T16:24:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-fde406158fa44b86bbe52e82f2f2a7592023-02-09T09:30:37ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452023-02-011010.3389/fmars.2023.11047861104786Subsurface dispersion path and travel time of radiocesium from Fukushima by Mode WaterSeung-Tae Lee0Jihun Jung1Guebuem Kim2Yong-Jin Tak3Yang-Ki Cho4School of Earth and Environmental Sciences/Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of KoreaSchool of Earth and Environmental Sciences/Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of KoreaSchool of Earth and Environmental Sciences/Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Marine Ecology and Environment, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung, Republic of KoreaSchool of Earth and Environmental Sciences/Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of KoreaThe Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident on March 11, 2011 resulted in the release of immense amounts of radioactive materials into the ocean. However, the dispersion of radioactive materials in the subsurface has not yet been clarified due to the spatiotemporal limitation of observations. Thus, herein, a tracer experiment was implemented using a three-dimensional numerical model to estimate the dispersion path of 137Cs released directly from the FDNPP and its travel time in the subsurface of the North Pacific Ocean from 2011 to 2020. The results show that the subsurface 137Cs spreads by two mode waters, namely, Sub-Tropical Mode Water (STMW) and Central Mode Water (CMW). Subsurface 137Cs primarily spreads clockwise in the sub-tropical region, while a portion driven by STMW is dispersed southward. The clockwise dispersion path of 137Cs released into the ocean by STMW is relatively shallower and inward than that by CMW. The 137Cs that was spread clockwise reached the east of Taiwan and the Philippines via STMW and CMW nine years after the accident, respectively. The model described in this study is applicable for estimating the water path and travel time of tritium water planned to be discharged from Fukushima. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1104786/fullFukushima nuclear power plantradioactive materialsubtropical mode watercentral mode waterNorth Pacific |
| spellingShingle | Seung-Tae Lee Jihun Jung Guebuem Kim Yong-Jin Tak Yang-Ki Cho Subsurface dispersion path and travel time of radiocesium from Fukushima by Mode Water Frontiers in Marine Science Fukushima nuclear power plant radioactive material subtropical mode water central mode water North Pacific |
| title | Subsurface dispersion path and travel time of radiocesium from Fukushima by Mode Water |
| title_full | Subsurface dispersion path and travel time of radiocesium from Fukushima by Mode Water |
| title_fullStr | Subsurface dispersion path and travel time of radiocesium from Fukushima by Mode Water |
| title_full_unstemmed | Subsurface dispersion path and travel time of radiocesium from Fukushima by Mode Water |
| title_short | Subsurface dispersion path and travel time of radiocesium from Fukushima by Mode Water |
| title_sort | subsurface dispersion path and travel time of radiocesium from fukushima by mode water |
| topic | Fukushima nuclear power plant radioactive material subtropical mode water central mode water North Pacific |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1104786/full |
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