Recent 137Cs deposition in sediments of Admiralty Bay, Antarctica

Cesium-137, radium-226 and lead-210 profiles of a 25 cm sediment core give an indication of recent changes in land–ocean interactions at a polar coastal environment (Admiralty Bay, King George Island, Antarctica). The linear sedimentation accumulation rate at the study site calculated from the unsupported 210Pb profile was 6.7 mm/year from 1965 to 2005. A 3.5-fold increase in 137Cs concentrations was observed in the top layer of this sediment core. This sharp increase seems to indicate a recent redistribution of fallout radionuclides previously deposited on soil, vegetation and snow. These results imply enhanced land–ocean interactions at this site likely as a result of climate change. Because our results are based on a single core, additional investigations are needed to confirm our observations.