The Geochemical Trends of Major and Select Trace Elements through a Soil Profile Near Mt. Daisen, Japan

After a catastrophic 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck the east coast of Japan in April 2011, a chain of events was set in motion leading to the release of several volatile radionuclides of Cs and I into the atmosphere due to explosions in three of the six reactor cores at the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP). This study shows the enrichment of stable Cs relative to other alkali metals at the surface soil samples collected from a 1m thick andisol at Mt. Daisen, Japan, roughly 700 Km SW from the FDNPP. Cs is not enriched in three surface soils collected from the Fukushima Prefecture outside the restricted area. The relative enrichment of Cs compared to other alkali metals show the potential of long-term fixation of radiocesium in these Mt. Daisen soils. INDEX WORDS: Fukushima, Radiocesium, Andisols, Vermiculite THE GEOCHEMICAL TRENDS OF MAJOR AND SELECT TRACE ELEMENTS THROUGH A SOIL PROFILE NEAR MT. DAISEN, JAPAN