The investigation of natural radionuclides as tracers for monitoring sediment processes

In situ and sampling measurements of naturally occurring radionuclides were investigated in terrestrial sediment in various environments. These environments include beaches, wetlands, river basins, and deserts that are within Southern Africa. The distribution patterns of the natural radionuclides were extracted and characteristics were compared and investigated. These characteristics were used to develop a method that can radio fingerprint types of sediment. The fingerprinting can then be used as a tracer to track sediment movement in aquatic systems when artificial disturbances, like dredging, occur. •Unique spatial characteristics of naturally occurring radionuclides were found.•Lognormal distributions were dominant in naturally occurring radionuclides.•A model is proposed to track sediment movement.