News

Five years have passed in Fukushima, but numerous long-term issues still remain

March 09, 2016

Five years ago, the Great East Japan Earthquake hit the Tohoku district causing 19,335 deaths; 2,600 people are still missing. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster, at level seven on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES), released ~520 PBq of radionuclides and forced residents to evacuate miles away from the contaminated area. During the past five years, a large number of articles have been published on the earthquake and the subsequent events, including the radioactive Cs contamination on the land in Fukushima prefecture and in the ocean (geochemical NEWSin August 25, 2015).

Radioactive Cs contamination in the surface environment has been a serious issue and will remain so for decades to come given the half-lives of ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs are 2.06 and 30.07 years, respectively. Radioactive Cs is rigidly bound in interlayers of clay minerals and is retained in the surface soils (e.g., Kaneko et al., 2015). However, aircraft monitoring revealed that the radiation dose decreased faster than expected based on the Cs half lives (Fig. 1b), indicating that soil particles associated with Cs were transported through surface waters into the ocean (e.g., Yamasaki et al., 2016). In addition to Cs bound to clay minerals, Cs-rich micro-particles (~ a few μm), mainly composed of Si oxide glass associated with wt% level Cs and other metals, were recently reported (Adachi et al., 2013). Despite their low numbers, these Cs-rich micro-particles may be a considerable dose contributor to the ecosystem. In addition, the formation processes of these Cs-rich micro-particles can provide novel information on the reaction that happened inside the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) and the primary containment vessel (PCV) when the fuels melted down in units 1 and 3 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP). The decommission of units 1~4 is ongoing and the most difficult process will be the removal of fuel debris, which is a solidified form of the melted fuel mixed with cladding, other metals, and possibly concrete. Even the occurrence and properties of the debris are totally unknown at the present, because it is difficult to sample the debris and investigate the occurrence inside the PCV due to the extremely high radiation dose. Since the Cs-rich micro-particles contain some fission products, they provide valuable insights into the chemical reactions that occurred inside the PCV during the explosions. The Fukushima disaster will challenge many geochemists as the long-term issues including debris, contaminated water stored in tanks, and Cs contamination in the soils, are resolved.

Dr. Satoshi Utsunomiya, Department of Chemistry, Kyushu University
744 Motooka, Nishi-ku,¥
Fukuoka-shi, 819-0395 JAPAN

References
1. M. Kaneko, H. Iwata, H. Shiotsu, S. Masaki, Y. Kawamoto, S. Yamasaki, Y. Nakamatsu, J. Imoto, G. Furuki, A. Ochiai, K. Nanba, T. Ohnuki, R. C. Ewing& S. Utsunomiya, Radioactive Cs in the severely contaminated soils near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Frontiers in Energy Research, (2015) dx.doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2015.00037
2. S. Yamasaki, J. Imoto, G. Furuki, A. Ochiai, T. Ohnuki, K. Sueki, K. Nanba, R. C. Ewing, & S. Utsunomiya, Radioactive Cs in the estuary sediments near Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Science of the Total Environment, 551-552 (2016) 155-162.
3. K. Adachi, M. Kajino, Y. Zaizen, & Y. Igarashi, Emission of spherical cesium-bearing particles from an early stage of the Fukushima nuclear accident, Scientific Reports, 3 (2013) 2554/1-5.

Fig. 1. (a) A map of dose rate in Fukushima based on an airplane monitoring survey by MEXT in May 2012. FDNPP represent the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. (b) The difference in dose rate between November, 2011 and December, 2012. Approximately 40% of the radiation dose has decreased due to the radioactive decay and physical removal of surface soils.

Ian Hutcheon (1948-2015)

September 21, 2015

Robert Berner (1935 - 2015)

January 13, 2015

Dear G&G Community:

I write to bring you the sad news that Robert A. Berner, Emeritus Professor of Geology and Geophysics, passed away as a result of pneumonia this weekend. We extend our deepest, heartfelt condolences to his family at this most difficult time.

Bob got his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Michigan, and his Ph.D. from Harvard. He did a postdoc at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography before moving to the University of Chicago as an Assistant Professor in 1963. He came to Yale in 1965, and stayed here for the rest of his career.

Bob was one of the greatest geochemists and, more broadly, geologists who ever lived. It is simply impossible to list all of his accomplishments. Much of his research centered on the quantitative geochemistry of sediments, and it's not an exaggeration to say that he defined the field as we know it. He made seminal contributions to, for example, the geochemistry of sulfides and carbonates in the oceans, diagenesis, weathering, and geochemical cycling. He was a thoughtful teacher and mentor, inspiring a whole generation of geochemists who got their Ph.D.'s or did their postdoctoral research in his lab. Today the students of Bob's students are now making their impact on the field!

Bob's research in any one of the areas he studied would have made a spectacular career. The fact that he made such fundamental contributions to so many areas makes his achievements and legacy all the more remarkable. Arguably his broadest impact has been in the area of carbon cycling. For example, Bob spearheaded the quantitative interpretation of the CO2 content of the atmosphere over the last 600 million years of Earth history. His work provided the basis for virtually all modern carbon cycling research going on today. This understanding of past CO2 levels and paleoclimates has provided an invaluable baseline of comparison for determining the impact of today's anthropogenic CO2 emissions on the atmosphere and the associated climate change.

Bob served the field of geochemistry as the President of the Geochemical Society, and received countless accolades (Guggenheim Fellow; Member, National Academy of Sciences; and many, many others). Bob's long association with the American Journal of Science (Silliman's Journal) as Associate Editor or Editor held special significance for him; indeed, many of his most influential papers were published there.

Bob had a tremendous sense of humor and could talk about almost any topic with enthusiasm and insight. He was an expert on wine (including it's chemistry!) and loved music. Given the importance of what he worked on regarding atmospheric chemistry and carbon cycling, he attracted quite a bit of media attention. I remember one instance where the news media had become very interested in his research on trapped air samples in ancient amber. Part of this translated into print as something along the lines of: Scientists Capture Dinosaur Breath! Bob thought that was hilarious and we all had a great laugh over it too.

I remember a dinner in Bob's honor some years ago. Many of his family members were present. He was holding one of his grandchildren in his arms, pontificating about some great insight he had had about geochemistry. And the little baby just reached up and grabbed his nose. He immediately dissolved into the world of that baby---the science left his mind and you could see how the love that he had for his family was such an integral part of what made him so special.

In accordance with the family's wishes, in lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Bob's name to the Geology and Geophysics Graduate Research and Field Studies fund. You can send these by mail to the G&G Chair's office c/o Rebecca Pocock. I highly recommend Bob's fascinating autobiography, which can be found here: http://people.earth.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/Berner/Robert%20A_%20Berner%20Autobiography.pdf

Sincerely,
Jay

--
Jay J. Ague, Henry Barnard Davis Professor of Geology & Geophysics
Chair, Department of Geology & Geophysics
Yale University, P.O. Box 208109
New Haven CT 06520-8109 USA
Phone: 203-432-3171 FAX: 203-432-3134
jay.ague@yale.edu http://people.earth.yale.edu/profile/jay-ague/about

Curator-in-Charge of Mineralogy & Meteoritics, Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History

Reprinted with permission.

Special Publication Series now open access

October 16, 2014

The first seven volumes of the Geochemical Society’s Special Publications Series are now available in PDF for free on our website.

Vol. 1 – Magmatic Processes (Tribute to H.S. Yoder)

Vol. 2 – Fluid-Mineral Interactions (Tribute to H.P. Eugster)

Vol. 3 – Stable Isotope Geochemistry (Tribute to Samuel Epstein)

Vol. 4 – Victor Moritz Goldschmidt: Father of Modern Geochemistry

Vol. 5 – Mineral Spectroscopy (Tribute to R.G. Burns)

Vol. 6 – Mantle Petrology (Tribute to F.R. Boyd)

Vol. 7 – Water-Rock Interactions (Tribute to D.A. Crerar)

A limited number of the hardcover editions are still available for purchase.

Broadening the Diversity of Excellence as we head to Awards Nomination Deadlines (Oct 31 2014)

October 03, 2014

Dear Members of the Geochemical Society,

In the next few weeks we face the deadlines for submission of nominations for the GS's highest competitive honours (October 31 2014). Having the most deserving and most diverse group of award winners is important for many reasons. Awardees symbolize the highest achievement in our field. They inspire all of us, and especially those at an early career stage, to do our best science. They become among the most visible spokespersons for our profession.

This is where you come in.

The development of a large and competitive pool of excellent nominees is critical to the success of the prize competitions. To develop these pools we ask that you in the community bring to bear all your scientific expertise and creative thinking. The past record of prize winners reflects scientific excellence and achievement of the highest level. Putting together a nomination package is not onerous, and unless you choose to reveal your role, is anonymous. There can be no more important role in leading and mentoring scientific accomplishments and recognition in the field of geochemistry.

There is a second important issue I hope to bring to your attention and thereby to mobilize the collective resources of our community to address. The record of achievement the Geochemical Society recognizes through prizes, plenaries and keynotes at Goldschmidt has been exemplary. But a quick look at overall past statistics also reveals that historically, our recognitions and honours have been very much focused on our European and North American membership despite the fact that more than 20% of our membership draws from outside these regions and despite a community membership which reflects a much wider range of diversity of all descriptions (gender, heritage, discipline) as well as geographic.

See earlier Elements Comments by Past-GS President Sam Mukasa on this and related topics from April 2009.

We would like to urge you now to get involved to help ensure all aspects of the Geochemical Society's activities, including prizes continue to reflect the full diversity of scientific excellence and professional achievement that is out there in our community. It is a normal human tendency to self-replicate. When asked to brainstorm a list of names for recognition of scientific excellence my own initial list would no doubt reflect too many groundwater geochemists, likely too many women, and certainly too many Canadians! Those who have studied this issue suggest are simple steps that can help us broaden our collective perspective.

Steps Forward:

Draw up your initial brainstorming list, then step back and think again – more broadly this time. Consider excellent scientists you know who are significantly different than yourself and those who you studied with and postdoc'ed with, and add those names to your nomination list. Our goal this year is to have no fewer than 5 nominees considered for each award and 30 in the consideration pool for GS Fellows.

- We can do better in the nominations phase.
- We need your expert judgement and creative vision.
- Get involved this year.
- Make a resolution to continue your involvement annually and nominate one excellent candidate each year
for something, whether it be within GS or elsewhere.
- We are counting on your leadership and vision. Your role as a scientific mentor and supporter can
change the world (https://www.geochemsoc.org/awards).

With best wishes, Barbara Sherwood Lollar
GS President (2014-2015)

GSJ formalizes relations with GS and EAG

December 13, 2013

The Geochemical Society of Japan (GSJ) held a signing ceremony with the Geochemical Society (GS) and the European Association of Geochemistry (EAG) at the recent Fall AGU meeting in San Francisco, USA. The signed agreements intend to build collaborative activities between the three organizations in general and specifically with the V.M. Goldschmidt Conference. In attendance for the ceremony were President-Elect Hodaka Kawahata (GSJ), President Chris Ballentine (EAG), Vice-President Barbara Sherwood Lollar (GS), President Rick Carlson (GS), and President Naohiro Yoshida (GSJ).

Award Nomination Diversity

September 09, 2013

Do you feel that many scientific awards lack diversity? We couldn’t agree more. Please read Sam Mukasa's Triple Point from 2009 for recent statistics. Unfortunately no significant improvement has been achieved since. Why? A major reason is too few take the time to nominate worthy candidates for Society recognition. Do something about it and help us break this trend by making a nomination. Nominations are easy and the nomination deadline is October 15.

Karl K. Turekian (1927-2013)

March 18, 2013

Karl Turekian, who was the Sterling Professor of Geology and Geophysics at Yale University, passed away March 15. Turekian was a world-renowned geochemist, past President of the Geochemical Society, editor or associate editor for eight geochemistry journals, and author of numerous books and hundreds of papers. He received his A.B. from Wheaton College in 1949 and his Ph.D. from Columbia in 1955 then started what turned out to be a 50 year career as Professor at Yale. Turekian was a larger-than-life personality whose infectious enthusiasm for geochemistry contributed hugely to the development of the field. His personality shines through in his autobiography which chronicles his path through the wide range of geochemical topics to which he contributed over his remarkable career, and well displays his ability to tell a good story.

RIMG #75: Carbon in Earth released as an open access publication

March 11, 2013

Carbon in Earth is a product of the Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO), a 10-year international research effort dedicated to achieving transformational understanding of the chemical and biological roles of carbon in Earth. The book integrates a vast body of knowledge and research in physics, chemistry, biology and Earth and space sciences about carbon. A small fraction of Earth's carbon is in its atmosphere, seawater and top crusts. An estimated 90% or more is locked away or in motion deep underground - a hidden dimension of the planet as poorly understood as it is profoundly important to life on the surface. Each chapter synthesizes what we know about this deep carbon, and also outlines unanswered questions that will guide the DCO's research for the remainder of the decade and beyond. A hallmark of the DCO is the desire to implement advanced strategies in communications, data management, engagement, and visualization. Accordingly, this volume incorporates some novel aspects of animations and videos. Thanks to sponsorship by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which provides significant support for the DCO, this is the first of the RIMG series to be published as an Open Access volume. Print copies are also available for purchase for US$ 40.00. Geochemical Society members receive a 25% discount on RIMG orders.

Devendra Lal (1929-2012)

December 14, 2012

Professor Devendra Lal, an illustrious cosmic ray physicist, Earth and planetary scientist, and distinguished mentor passed away on December 1, 2012 at his residence in San Diego, California. He was 83.

Throughout his long career, Professor Lal was known for the diversity and creativity of his research interests. His early work on the composition and energy spectrum of primary cosmic radiation and in elementary particle physics became the basis for his research on the mechanisms and rates of natural physical and chemical processes on Earth and in the solar system using radionuclides. He published extensively on cosmic ray produced radioisotopes in terrestrial environments, in the atmosphere, in polar ice, in the oceans and oceanic sediments, and in lakes. And he worked on nuclear tracks and radioactivity in lunar samples and meteorites. This work brought him numerous international honors, among them as a Fellow of the Royal Society, Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences, Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, and recipient of the V. M. Goldschmidt Medal of the Geochemical Society.

To his many friends and colleagues around the world Professor Lal was best known for his insatiable curiosity, his good humor, and as a caring and demanding teacher. He was fond of asking: "What new idea did you have today?" No idea was too big or too outlandish to be considered. He loved to experiment, and if something didn't work he would try it another way. Some of his experiments were gigantic, such as dating ocean waters by submerging meter-sized frames packed with iron-impregnated sponges or fibers into the deep sea for many hours to extract minute quantities of the natural radioisotope silicon32. He often frustrated his colleagues and students with his all-consuming pursuit of science. He was both uncompromising and patient with students, often lamenting their poor preparation, especially in mathematics, but also spending hours with them until they understood the material.

Devendra Lal was born February 14, 1929 to a large family of modest means in Varanasi, India, where he completed his bachelor's and master's education at Banaras Hindu University. His pioneering PhD thesis research on cosmic ray physics at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Bombay (Mumbai) and Bombay University, completed in 1960, had its roots in the origins of modern physics in Germany and the United States through his thesis advisor Professor Bernard Peters, who was a refugee from both Nazism in Germany and McCarthyism in the US.

He first came to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography as a visiting researcher in 1957, and 10 years later as a professor of nuclear geophysics. Over his long career Professor Lal divided his time between Scripps/UC San Diego and appointments in India, first as a professor at the Tata Institute and then as professor and director of the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad, before making Scripps his full-time academic home in 1989. Professor Lal and his late wife Aruna have been generous supporters of Scripps and PRL, notably through their endowment of the Devendra and Aruna Lal Fellowship in support of creative and exceptional Scripps graduate students and a similar Trust that provides scholarships for selected high school students from Ahmedabad to pursue college educations in science. His wisdom and his good humor will be sorely missed, but his academic legacy and personal impact will remain with us for many years to come.

-Ray Weiss