Sedimentation rates, residence times and radionuclide inventories in lake Baikal from Cs-137 and Pb-210 in sediment cores

Measurements of caesium-137, arising from atomic bombs, and lead-210, a natural isotope, were made in cores from several points in the 3 basins of Baikal lake. The effective sedimentation rates were the same as in the Great Lakes and consistent with previous indirect estimations. Longer residence times were the result of greater depth. The results provided information on: the fallout of caesium-137; fluxes at the sediment-water interface; long-term diffusion of nuclides in sediments; depositional zones throughout the lake; and the timing of palaeolimnological events. There are 33 references.