title: Radionuclides in mono lake, california.
abstract: Several radioisotopes of the naturally occurring uranium and thorium decay series, in addition to fallout plutonium, have unusually high concentrations in the water column of Mono Lake, a natural alkaline, saline lake. Complexing by carbonate ions appears to be responsible for the enhanced solubility of actinide elements with oxidation states of IV to VI. In contrast, fallout strontium-90 has been largely removed from the water, probably as a result of coprecipitation with calcium carbonate. The daughter/parent activity ratios of thorium, radium, and uranium isotopes suggest that thorium is removed from the water column to the sediments on time scales substantially longer than a month and that the desorption of thorium from the sediments to the water column requires less than a few years.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Trier
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Toggweiler
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mathieu
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Deck
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Ku