Articles | Volume 375
https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-375-29-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-375-29-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
The potential for gamma-emitting radionuclides to contribute to an understanding of erosion processes in South Africa
Ian D. L. Foster
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, University of Northampton, Northampton, NN2 6JD, UK
Department of Geography, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, Eastern Cape, South Africa
John Boardman
Environmental Change Institute, Oxford Centre for the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
Adrian L. Collins
Sustainable Soils and Grassland Systems Department, Rothamsted Research, Okehampton, EX20 2SB, UK
Ruth Copeland-Phillips
Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, University of Northampton, Northampton, NN2 6JD, UK
Nikolaus J. Kuhn
Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Klingelbergstr. 27, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
Tim M. Mighall
Department of Geography & Environment, School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UF, UK
Simon Pulley
Sustainable Soils and Grassland Systems Department, Rothamsted Research, Okehampton, EX20 2SB, UK
Kate M. Rowntree
Department of Geography, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, Eastern Cape, South Africa
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Short summary
The paper explores existing data bases relating to erosion and sediment transport in South Africa. It identifies a number of problems with using these and stresses the need to supplement existing data with a novel approach based on the use of sediments accumulating in small farm dams. These could provide directly comparable data by identifying a common time line in all dams using a radioactive fallout isotope called Caesium-137 that was first liberated into the global atmosphere in the 1950s.
The paper explores existing data bases relating to erosion and sediment transport in South...