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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 34, L20802, doi:10.1029/2007GL030611, 2007

A long distance measurement of radioxenon in Yellowknife, Canada, in late October 2006

P. R. J. Saey

Provisional Technical Secretariat, Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation, Vienna, Austria


M. Bean

Radiation Protection Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada


A. Becker

Provisional Technical Secretariat, Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation, Vienna, Austria


J. Coyne

Provisional Technical Secretariat, Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation, Vienna, Austria


R. d'Amours

Canadian Meteorological Centre, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment Canada, Dorval, Quebec, Canada


L.-E. De Geer

Provisional Technical Secretariat, Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation, Vienna, Austria


R. Hogue

Canadian Meteorological Centre, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment Canada, Dorval, Quebec, Canada


T. J. Stocki

Radiation Protection Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada


R. K. Ungar

Radiation Protection Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada


G. Wotawa

Provisional Technical Secretariat, Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation, Vienna, Austria


Abstract

Between 21–25 October 2006, elevated levels of atmospheric xenon-133 were observed in Yellowknife (Canada). This station is located in an area where the background level of radioxenon is very low. The few measurements of xenon-133 above background in the last three years have been traced back to known nuclear facilities. The measurements in late October could not be linked to them. According to backward atmospheric transport models (ATM), the air that contained the measured radioxenon could have originated from the Korean Peninsula. On 9 October 2006, seismic networks world-wide recorded an event with characteristics of an underground explosion in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. Forward ATM was performed using these coordinates. The results were consistent with the measurements in Yellowknife, more than 7000 km away. The order of magnitude of the amount measured is consistent with simple leak scenarios assumed for a low yield underground nuclear explosion on the Korean peninsula.

Received 7 May 2007; accepted 19 September 2007; published 16 October 2007.

Keywords: announced nuclear explosion; low-level radioxenon measurements; nuclear explosion monitoring.

Index Terms: 0368 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Troposphere: constituent transport and chemistry; 4904 Paleoceanography: Atmospheric transport and circulation; 4860 Oceanography: Biological and Chemical: Radioactivity and radioisotopes; 0365 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Troposphere: composition and chemistry; 0932 Exploration Geophysics: Radioactivity methods.

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Citation: Saey, P. R. J., M. Bean, A. Becker, J. Coyne, R. d'Amours, L.-E. De Geer, R. Hogue, T. J. Stocki, R. K. Ungar, and G. Wotawa (2007), A long distance measurement of radioxenon in Yellowknife, Canada, in late October 2006, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L20802, doi:10.1029/2007GL030611.