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Critical Zones in Geological Environment and their Role in Groundwater Contamination (Experience of Chernobyl)

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  Pp. 213-216 in Preferential Flow, Water Movement and Chemical Transport in the Environment, Proc. 2nd Int. Symp. (3-5 January 2001, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA), eds. D. D. Bosch and K. W. King. St. Joseph, Michigan: ASAE  701P0006.(doi:10.13031/2013.2132)
Authors:   V.M. Shestopalov, V.N. Bublias, A.S. Bohuslavsky, D.E. Kukharenko
Keywords:   depressions, radionuclides, migration, preferential flow, groundwater contamination

The relief depression forms with anomalous structural, hydrophysical, hydrodynamic, and migration properties for Chernobyl-born 137Cs and 90Sr were studied in typical landscapes within the Chernobyl exclusion zone. It is found that these critical landscape forms manifest themselves as low-runoff and closed depressions with higher humidity and specific structure of deposits leading to preferential infiltration and fast downward migration of radionuclides. Results are presented obtained at several regime observation sites organized at typical depressions. The questions of deep origin of anomalous depressions as preferential pathways of vertical downward transport and their role in groundwater contamination are discussed.

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