On the occurrence and origin of anthropogenic radionuclides found in a fragment of the Chelyabinsk (LL5) meteorite
- Author(s)
- Rebecca Querfeld, Mohammad R. Tanha, Lars Heyer, Franz Renz, Georg Guggenberger, Franz Brandstaetter, Ludovic Ferriere, Christian Koeberl, Georg Steinhauser
- Abstract
A piece of the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteorite was investigated for its content of anthropogenic radionuclides. In addition to traces of cesium-137 that had been previously reported for this particular fragment, we found an unusually high amount of strontium-90, which indicates that the source of this contamination was the Kyshtym accident (1957). A high Sr-90/Cs-137 activity ratio is characteristic for Kyshtym-derived contaminations. Based on the cesium-137 content in the soil from the finding site, it is estimated that the fragment was contaminated with soil particles in the milligram range upon impact. Investigation of the soil revealed very unusual ferromagnetic characteristics and an iron-rich chemical composition. Mössbauer spectroscopy indicated the presence of steel components in this soil, suggesting that the investigated meteorite fragment was found in an industrial dumping site rather than natural soil.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Lithospheric Research
- External organisation(s)
- Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (NHM)
- Journal
- Meteoritics and Planetary Science
- Volume
- 52
- Pages
- 1244-1250
- No. of pages
- 7
- ISSN
- 1086-9379
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12855
- Publication date
- 06-2017
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105105 Geochemistry
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geophysics, Space and Planetary Science
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/2dbdfe50-5d37-4b25-aeaa-758228fc9d9b