Plutonium concentrations link soil organic matter decline to wind erosion in ploughed soils of South Africa
Joel Mohren,Hendrik Wiesel,Wulf Amelung,L. Keith Fifield,Alexandra Sandhage-Hofmann,Erik Strub,Steven A. Binnie,Stefan Heinze,Elmarie Kotze,Chris Du Preez,Stephen G. Tims,and Tibor J. Dunai
Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, Soil Science and Soil Ecology, University of Bonn, Nussallee 13, 53115 Bonn, Germany
L. Keith Fifield
Department of Nuclear Physics and Accelerator Applications, Research School of Physics, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, Soil Science and Soil Ecology, University of Bonn, Nussallee 13, 53115 Bonn, Germany
Erik Strub
Division of Nuclear Chemistry, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 45, 50674 Cologne, Germany
Steven A. Binnie
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 49b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
Stefan Heinze
CologneAMS, Institute of Nuclear Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Elmarie Kotze
Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
Chris Du Preez
Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
Stephen G. Tims
Department of Nuclear Physics and Accelerator Applications, Research School of Physics, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
We measured concentrations of nuclear fallout in soil samples taken from arable land in South Africa. We find that during the second half of the 20th century, the data strongly correlate with the organic matter content of the soils. The finding implies that wind erosion strongly influenced the loss of organic matter in the soils we investigated. Furthermore, the exponential decline of fallout concentrations and organic matter content over time peaks shortly after native grassland is ploughed.
We measured concentrations of nuclear fallout in soil samples taken from arable land in South...
