Application of bomb- and Chernobyl-derived radiocaesium for reconstructing changes in erosion rates and sediment fluxes from croplands in areas of European Russia with different levels of Chernobyl fallout

- The downward diffusion of Chernobyl-derived 137Cs in soils of European Russia depends on the topographic position.
- The shape of 137Cs profiles obtained from valleys bottoms can be used to interpret recent sediment redistribution.
- The sediment deposits sequestered in sediment sinks can provide valuable information on changing soil erosion rates.
- A decreasing trend of sedimentation rates between the periods 1963-1986 and 1986-2015 was documented for valley bottoms.