OTTAWA, CANADA (TEH) – In a chilling reminder of the atomic age, scientists conducting an extensive survey of the sediment at the bottom of Canada’s Crawford Lake have made an unsettling discovery. Their research reveals traces of radioactive material, specifically Plutonium-239, which seemingly corroborates the hypothesis that these sediments, thousands of years old, have been subjected to radioactive fallout.
The body of water in question, Crawford Lake, is approximately 10,000 years old. Its origin can be traced back to the weathering and erosion of limestone by water, a process resulting in the lake’s high calcite content. During the warm summer months, the calcite in the lake water crystallizes and settles to the bottom, contributing to a layered, chronological archive of geological and environmental changes.
Using an advanced methodology, the researchers extracted core samples of these sediment layers. The core’s visible stratification enabled a precise chronological study, revealing a noteworthy presence of Plutonium-239 in the layers dating from 1948 to 1951 and 1950 to 1953. Interestingly, these radioactive deposits showed an increase in the layers corresponding to the period 1956-1957, followed by a subsequent decrease over the next three years. From 1960 to 1980, the radioactive presence plateaued.
Scientists argue that these findings are remnants of the nuclear tests initiated in 1945. The start of this era was marked by the detonation of a bomb named “Gadge” at the Alamogordo test site in New Mexico, a critical component of the infamous Manhattan Project. Within the span of a few weeks, the United States further extended the reach of atomic devastation by dropping bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
In the grand scheme of things, the detection of such radioactive traces is not an aberration. Remnants of nuclear tests have been unearthed in numerous corners of the globe. However, what sets the Crawford Lake findings apart is their age. As reported by the Japan Times, the plutonium traces from this Canadian lake are currently the oldest known anthropogenic radioactive deposits.
A team of scientists said that sediment deposits at Crawford Lake in Canada show that the Earth entered the Anthropocene epoch some seven decades ago https://t.co/LVG2UPDaRb pic.twitter.com/TjP4xJSPNK
— Reuters Science News (@ReutersScience) July 12, 2023
In related nuclear research news, MediaStream reported that Russian scientists have developed a nuclear battery with an impressive lifespan. This advanced piece of technology can reportedly operate for 80 years without necessitating a recharge. This discovery stands in stark contrast to the destructive power of nuclear technology evidenced by the Crawford Lake findings, painting a multi-faceted picture of humanity’s complex relationship with atomic power.
