title: Sedimentary radioactive tracers and diffusive models.
abstract: This paper examines the underlying assumptions and consequences of applying a steady-state equation to sediment profiles of radioactive tracers in order to deconvolute sedimentation from bioturbation processes modelled as a diffusive type process. Several factors follow immediately from this investigation: (i) if the observed radioactive concentration increases with depth over any finite depth range then the proposed steady-state, constant flux equation is not applicable. Any increase in radioactive concentration with depth implies a negative mixing coefficient which is a physical impossibility; (ii) when the radioactive concentration systematically decreases with increasing sedimentary depth then solutions to the steady-state conservation equation exist only when either the constant solid state flux to the sediment surface is small enough so that a positive mixing coefficient results or when the mixing coefficient is small enough so that a positive flux results. If the radioactive concentration, porosity and/or density of the solid phase are such that the proposed equation is inappropriate (because no physically acceptable solution exists) then one must abandon the proposed steady-state equation. Further: if the flux of solid sediment to the sediment surface varies with time then, of course, a steady-state conservation equation is also inappropriate. Simple examples illustrate that the assumption of steady-state restricts the applicability of this modelling approach to a relatively small sub-set of expected situations in the real world.
authors.affiliation: Akvaplan-niva, Polar Environmental Center, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway. jc@akvaplan.niva.no
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lerche
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011849:Radioactive Tracers
chemical_list: D011849:Radioactive Tracers