Patterns of chernobyl fallout in relation to local weather conditions

The deposition of a number of radionuclides from the Chernobyl accident has been measured in Göteborg in western Sweden. Only about 1% of the dominating radionuclides 134,137Cs, 131I and 103,106Ru which finally reached the ground was deposited in dry from, mainly during the period April 27–May 8, 1986. The rest, 99%, was deposited during one single period of rain on May 8, 1986. For the aforementioned radionuclides the activity concentration in the rainwater decreased by a factor of about 50 from beginning to end of this 12 hour rain period showing the most pronounced decrease during the first 2 hours. Compared with the period of dry deposition, the relative amounts of 141,144Ce, 95Zr and 140Ba deposited during the rain on may 8 were low.