Distribution of caesium-137 in soils across a hillslope hollow

The distribution of soil 137Cs in relation to selected soil and landform properties was studied across a 16 ha hillslope hollow in the Hunter valley, New South Wales, Australia. The hillslope was used as grazing for cattle. Caesium‐137 was not significantly related to the amount of sand, silt, or clay, the bulk density, the organic matter content, the slope angle or the relative distance downslope. However, 137Cs was significantly related to the thickness of the soil A horizon. Spatial variations in 137Cs were compared with topographic units and a six‐element hillslope model, but there was little correspondence. It was thought that the effects of microtopography could have masked potential interrelationships between 137Cs and broader scale landform parameters.