76
northern and eastern sectors of the atoll, respectively.

In addition, in

groups of stations (within the dotted lines in Fig. 18) the relative ordering

of 6069, 1370, and 207

Bi changed, delineating still smaller areas.

The

sequetces found may thus serve as discrimirants for groups of stations where
the ordering sequence of radionuclides concentrations are the same.
additional discriminant, the ratios of

As an

2394240, 2385), found in sur
face sedi-

ments at each station are added to the figure, since these ratios may also
retain the signature of debris from individual devices.

Comparison of these

two "discriminant functions" show that although individual detonations may
have disseminated unique proportions of radionuclides, mixing and/or fractionation of the radionuclides and debris from the several tests have left few conclusive signatures of individual sources in the laaoon sediments.
The relatively high abundance of

185

Eu in north central lagoon sediments

may j]ltustrate the area over which debris ejected from the Station B-18 and
C-8 test areas has had major influence on the concentrations present in surface
sediments.

It may also be of significance to note the possible correlation

between the distributions of high

to the distribution of high

2394240,

2394240

Pu/

238

Pu ratios south of Tewa Crater,

pyri, 1 137%e5/88co and ow

23942405)

W95e 4 ratios which are common both this area and the test areas around Station
B-18 and Tewa Crater.

5.1-8 Uranium, Radium-226 and Polonium-210
The naturally occurrina isotopes

210

Po are members of the

238

U decay series (Fig. 19).

238

U and

234,,

U,

226

Ra and

The structures of orga-

nisms which comprise the sediments of coralline atolls accumulate these radionuclides from sea water.

In addition, deposition of

210 Pb and 210 Po in the

Sediments results from aeolian and pluvial transport process.

Because the

activity ratio 2307, 234), in recent coral is less than 0.005 (Thurber et al.,

Select target paragraph3