STRATOSPHERIC DISTRIBUTION OF NUCLEAR DEBRIS
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DECEMBER 1962
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O NOVEMBER 1963
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AJUNE 1963
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FEBRUARY 1962
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5 ACTIVITY, DIS/ MIN PER 1000 SCF
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104
Fig. 9—Vertical profiles of "Sr activity.
in January 1962. The flattening of the maximum in the vertical profile
was doubtless due to the vertical diffusion of the debris away from the
maximum, aS well as to the appearance of the new debris at the higher
altitudes sampled. Some debris from Dominic I was found in the layer
between 50,000 and 60,000 ft at 65°N during mid-1962 (as recognized
by the presence of short-lived fission products such as Ba), but it
contributed only a small percentage of the total "Sr found there.
By
December
1962,
following all but the last few of the 1962
U.S.S.R. tests, the concentrations of Sr found at 65°N were very high,
generally exceeding 1000 dis/min per 1000 scf (1000 disintegrations
per minute of Sr per 1000 cu ft at 15°C and standard pressure). In
December 1962 the highest concentrations were found at 70,000 ft, the
highest altitude sampled. By July 1963 the maximum concentrations at
65°N were found at 60,000 ft, and balloon sampling indicated that the
“Sr activities did generally tend to decrease with altitude above
70,000 ft. In December 1963 the maximum concentrations werestill
found at 60,000 ft, and concentrations at all altitudes sampled were
lower than they had been in July 1963. Sampling in May 1964 revealed
that concentrations had decreased further at all altitudes above 50,000 ft
but that at some altitudes below 50,000 ft they had increased. Maximum
concentrations were found at 55,000 ft.
More-extensive data on the vertical distribution of Sr are avail-
able for 31°N, where balloon sampling is performed on a regular