Oceanic Dispersion Simulations of 137Cs Released from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Yukio Masumoto (1) , Yasumasa Miyazawa (1) , Daisuke Tsumune (2) , Takaki Tsubono (2) , Takuya Kobayashi (3) , Hideyuki Kawamura (3) , Claude Estournel (4) , Patrick Marsaleix (4) , Lyon Lanerolle (5) , Avichal Mehra (5) , Zulema D. Garraffo

1 RIGC - Research Institute for Global Change
2 Central Research Institute of Electrical Power Industry
3 JAEA - Japan Atomic Energy Agency [Ibaraki]
4 LAERO - Laboratoire d'aérologie
5 NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Five models have been used to estimate the oceanic dispersion of 137Cs from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant during March and April 2011, following the accident on March 11, 2011. The total discharged activity of 137Cs is estimated to be 2 to 15 petabequerels. A weak southward current along the Fukushima coast was responsible for the initial transport direction, while mesoscale eddy-like structures and surface-current systems contributed to dispersion in areas beyond the continental shelf. Most of the discrepancies among the models in April are caused by differences in how the mesoscale current structures off the Ibaraki coast are represented.

Mots clés: oceanic dispersion simulation; radionuclides; 137 Cs; Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant; regional ocean simulation; mesoscale eddy

Domaines: Océanographie; Sciences de l'environnement

Yukio Masumoto, Yasumasa Miyazawa, Daisuke Tsumune, Takaki Tsubono, Takuya Kobayashi, et al.. Oceanic Dispersion Simulations of 137Cs Released from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Elements, 2012, 8 (3), pp.207-212. ⟨10.2113/gselements.8.3.207⟩. ⟨hal-02110121⟩