Abstract
In this paper we present the first 236U-measurements from North Sea water samples. The measurements are performed within an ongoing project that intends to map the distribution of 236U in the Atlantic Ocean and thus to explore the potential of 236U as a new oceanic tracer. We describe the latest modifications of the low energy ETH AMS system TANDY that allow determining the concentrations of both 238U and 236U and the 236U/238U ratio during only one AMS measurement. Further, we present our chemical preparation procedure and, finally, the first 236U data from the North Sea is discussed in detail. A simple conceptual model is used to simulate the temporal evolution of the 236U-concentration in the North Sea. The simulated water mass residence time is in good agreement with independent oceanographic data. Based on these initial results we conclude that anthropogenic 236U has a large potential as a new transient and extremely conservative tracer in Oceanography.
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