Volume 18 (2016) Article 09

Movement of tritiated water injected into blanket peat.

by R.S. Clymo

Published online: 17.04.2016

Summary

In 1966, tritiated water was injected at five sites at depths between 25 and 100 cm into blanket bog at Moor House National Nature Reserve. The distribution of tritium activity on a logarithmically spaced grid around these sites was sampled in 1990, 24 years after placement. The proportions of tritium accounted for ranged from 80 % for the injection at 100 cm deep, to 20 % for the injection at 25 cm deep. Both 80 and 20 should be considered as ± 10 %. Results imply that diffusion close to the injection may have played a part in movement of tritium; evapotranspiration is not inconsistent with the losses inversely proportional to depth of placement; but the main process of movement is probably bulk (mass) flow of water through the peat.

Citation

Clymo, R.S. (2016): Movement of tritiated water injected into blanket peat. Mires and Peat, 18(09), 1-14. (Online: http://www.mires-and-peat.net/pages/volumes/map18/map1809.php); 10.19189/MaP.2015.OMB.215

Reviewers

IMCG and IPS acknowledge the work of the reviewers.