A numerical model to assess the consequences of a nuclear accident in the Kara Sea
A quick-response numerical model which simulates the fate of radionuclides in the Kara Sea is presented. The model concept is Lagrangian and includes advection by currents, three-dimensional diffusion, exchanges of radionuclides among water and seabed sediments and radioactive decay. It also calcula...
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universidad de Sevilla (US) |
| Repositorio: | idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:idus.us.es:11441/178871 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/11441/178871 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2025.104627 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Lagrangian model Kara sea Radionuclides Sediment Ages |
| Sumario: | A quick-response numerical model which simulates the fate of radionuclides in the Kara Sea is presented. The model concept is Lagrangian and includes advection by currents, three-dimensional diffusion, exchanges of radionuclides among water and seabed sediments and radioactive decay. It also calculates particle ages, defined as time elapsed since a particle was released, which give information about general features of marine circulation. HYCOM ocean model was selected to extract water circulation, whose results are available on-line and has been adequately validated. The dispersion model has been used to simulate some hypothetical accidents of nuclear-powered submarines, occurring in several points of the Kara Sea and moments in the year to assess any seasonality in results and implying releases of 137Cs and 60Co. Realistic source terms of, respectively, 1 PBq/y and 17 TBq/y have been used. Radionuclide activity concentrations calculated in water and seabed sediment are orders of magnitude above background over significant areas of the Kara Sea, depending on the season when the accident begins due to seasonal changes in water circulation, and also on the water depth at the accident location. |
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