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Wet deposition of 7Be and 10Be in Xi’an, China: Variation characteristics and influencing factors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 August 2025

Xinyi Du Open the ORCID record for Xinyi Du [Opens in a new window] ,
Yunchong Fu Open the ORCID record for Yunchong Fu [Opens in a new window] ,
Xuke Liu ,
Yanting Bi ,
Li Zhang ,
Peng Cheng Open the ORCID record for Peng Cheng [Opens in a new window] ,
Zhenchuan Niu Open the ORCID record for Zhenchuan Niu [Opens in a new window]  and
Zhao Jin
Xinyi Du
Affiliation:
Xi’an AMS Center, Institute of Global Environmental Change, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an 710061, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Yunchong Fu*
Affiliation:
Xi’an AMS Center, Institute of Global Environmental Change, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an 710061, China
Xuke Liu
Affiliation:
Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an 710061, China Xi’an Institute for Innovative Earth Environment Research, Xi’an 710061, China
Yanting Bi
Affiliation:
Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an 710061, China Xi’an Institute for Innovative Earth Environment Research, Xi’an 710061, China
Li Zhang
Affiliation:
Xi’an AMS Center, Institute of Global Environmental Change, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an 710061, China
Peng Cheng
Affiliation:
Xi’an AMS Center, Institute of Global Environmental Change, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an 710061, China
Zhenchuan Niu
Affiliation:
Xi’an AMS Center, Institute of Global Environmental Change, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an 710061, China
Zhao Jin
Affiliation:
Xi’an AMS Center, Institute of Global Environmental Change, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
*
Corresponding author: Yunchong Fu; Email: fuyc@ieecas.cn
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Abstract

Cosmogenic 7Be and 10Be are effective tracers for studying atmospheric dynamics and Earth’s surface processes, with over 90% of these isotopes reaching the surface via wet deposition. However, the characteristics and influencing factors of 7Be and 10Be wet deposition remain unclear in different regions, limiting the precision of these nuclides as tracers of environmental change. This study analyzes the annual variation of 7Be and 10Be wet deposition in Xi’an and examines the impact of precipitation on their deposition. Ultra-trace levels of 7Be and 10Be in precipitation were synchronously measured using state-of-the-art accelerator mass spectrometry. One-year (July 30, 2020 to September 3, 2021), high-frequency (individual rain events) and time-synchronized series of observations of 7Be and 10Be wet deposition data (n = 49) were analyzed. The total annual wet deposition fluxes of 7Be and 10Be in central China (34.22°N, 109.01°E) for 2020/21 were (218 ± 24) × 108 atoms·m–2·yr–1 and (314 ± 16) × 108 atoms·m–2·yr–1, respectively. Precipitation amount, intensity, and duration were quantitatively analyzed for their effects on total wet deposition flux, mean concentration, washout ratio, deposition velocity, and scavenging coefficient of 7Be and 10Be during individual rain events. The results indicate that precipitation amount is the most significant factor influencing the wet deposition flux of both nuclides.

Keywords

beryllium-7 (7Be)beryllium-10 (10Be)Loess Plateauwet deposition

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Type
Conference Paper
Information
Radiocarbon , First View , pp. 1 - 17
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© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of University of Arizona

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Footnotes

Selected Papers from the 4th Radiocarbon in the Environment Conference, Lecce, Italy, 23–27 Sept. 2024

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