A new article published in Catena explores the use of plutonium isotopes ²³⁹+²⁴⁰Pu to investigate the redistribution of volcanic soils in Iceland. This is the first application of this method in such a distinctive and highly dynamic environment.
Plutonium isotopes, introduced into the environment mainly through atmospheric nuclear weapons testing in the twentieth century, strongly bind to soil particles. They can therefore be used as highly sensitive tracers to estimate rates of soil erosion and sediment deposition.
The study, conducted in three regions of Iceland, demonstrates the considerable potential of this approach, while also showing that its application in volcanic landscapes requires particular caution. The results may be affected by recent layers of plutonium-free volcanic ash, strong spatial variation in precipitation, and difficulties in identifying genuinely undisturbed reference sites. Although the applied conversion models produced different numerical estimates, they provided consistent interpretations of whether erosion or deposition was the dominant process at each site.
We are especially pleased that Dr Aleksandra Loba from our Faculty was the lead and corresponding author of the study!
The publication is the result of international cooperation between researchers from three academic institutions: Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, and the University of Zurich. The findings also stem from Dr Aleksandra Loba’s two-month research stay at the University of Zurich in 2023, during which she carried out analyses involving the extraction of plutonium isotopes from soil material.
Congratulations to the entire research team!
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0341816226006685
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