Landscape-geochemical mapping of the North-West of Kola Peninsula

•Geo-information database for ecological and radiochemical data•Landscape-geochemical mapping of radionuclides•Migration and accumulation of radionuclides in NW Kola Peninsula•Environmental–geochemical maps identify Cs-137 pollution

An ecological and radiochemical geo-information system was developed for studying the distribution features of technical radionuclides in tundra and taiga terrains. A series of landscape-geochemical maps was made at local (1:50 000) and regional (1:200 000) scales, and the radioecological conditions were determined in the study area. Landscapes have been identified according to the soil's physical and chemical properties, vegetation characteristics, natural moisture conditions, ground water level, the mineralogical composition of soil and underlying rocks, and the presence or absence of anthropogenic impact. This approach has allowed the conditions of migration and accumulation of radionuclides in the north-west of the Kola Peninsula to be revealed, and assisted in the understanding of migration and accumulation conditions of 137Cs.