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Long-term dependence of surface fallout fluctuations upon tropopause-level cyclogenesis

Die Abhängigkeit langperiodischer Schwankungen des radioaktiven Ausfalls an der Erdoberfläche von zyklogenetischen Vorgängen im Tropopausenniveau

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Summary

The downward transport of radioactive debris from the stratosphere in association with tropopause-level cyclogenesis offers a possible physical explanation for seasonal and shorter-period surface fallout increases. To examine these possibilities, a simple circulation index which is related to the degree of cyclonic activity in the upper troposphere is compared to a time series of area-averaged fallout intensity. The comparison reveals that the spring fallout peak cannot be explained adequately by an increase in cyclonic activity at this time of year. Shorter period increases, however, are strongly related to occurrences of intense cyclogenesis in the upper troposphere.

The age-corrected fallout averaged over the area of the contiguous United States reveals the existence of a regular seasonal variation with a maximum in late spring and a minimum in late fall. The spring peak in 1964 is a factor of two less in 1964 than 1963—reflecting the progressive depletion of debris following the nuclear testing moratorium of December, 1962.

Zusammenfassung

Der nach unten gerichtete Transport radioaktiver Spurenstoffe aus der Stratosphäre im Zusammenhang mit Zyklogenese im Tropopausenniveau bietet eine physikalische Erklärung für die jahreszeitlichen und kurzperiodischen Zunahmen des radioaktiven Ausfalls an der Erdoberfläche. Um diese Vorgänge zu überprüfen, wurde ein einfacher Zirkulationsindex, der mit der Zyklonentätigkeit in der oberen Troposphäre zusammenhängt, mit den zeitlichen Änderungen der flächenhaft gemittelten Maxima von radioaktivem Ausfall verglichen. Dieser Vergleich zeigt, daß das Aufallsmaximum im Frühjahr nicht mit einem Anwachsen der Zyklonenaktivität zu dieser Jahreszeit erklärt werden kann. Kurzperiodische Ausfallsschwankungen sind jedoch in signifikanter Weise mit Perioden von Zyklogenese in der oberen Troposphäre korreliert.

Der über das Gebiet der Vereinigten Staaten gemittelte, zeitkorrigierte radioaktive Ausfall zeigt das Vorhandensein einer regelmäßigen jahreszeitlichen Änderung mit einem Spätfrühlingsmaximum und einem Minimum im Spätherbst. Das Frühlingsmaximum im Jahre 1964 war um einen Faktor 2 geringer als im Jahre 1963. Diese Tatsache zeigt den Schwund radioaktiver Spurenstoffe nach dem Atomtestmoratorium vom Dezember 1962 an.

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  1. J. D. Mahlman

    Present address: Department of Meteorology, Naval Postgraduate School, 93940, Monterey, California, U.S.A.

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    Mahlman, J.D. Long-term dependence of surface fallout fluctuations upon tropopause-level cyclogenesis. Arch. Met. Geoph. Biokl. A. 18, 299–311 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02247609

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