Bottom sediment radioactivity of the six Caucasus lakes located in different altitude zones.

Abstract

Natural and artificial radioactivity of bottom sediment in the six lakes of the Western and Central Caucasus have been evaluated. It allowed to define the variation of sedimentation rate during the last 100-150years using technogenic (137Cs) and natural (210Pb, 226Ra) radionuclides as a chronomarkers. The studied lakes are located in the contrasting geographic conditions, different orographic positions, and have different origin. The average annual precipitation in the area of each of the lakes has been detected to stay relatively constant during the 137Cs fallout period, while the air temperature has markedly increased during the last decades. The detected sedimentation rates are the indirect indicator of climate change in the mountains. They are slightly decreasing owing to the increased protection of soil by vegetation cover in the lower altitude zone; in the upper zones, they are growing due to accelerated glacier retreat. The radioecological situation is estimated as normal. High levels of 137Cs (33kBqm-2) and 241Am (0.1kBqm-2) in bottom sediments are attributed to the region-specific geographical characteristics.