9508271 Khanbilvardi Soil erosion is major scientific and environmental problem, but the laws governing this complex process are not yet completely clear, especially when radionuclides are involved. These pollutants are being transported with soil particles down and out of the slopes, but at the same time they influence upon the erodibility of soils through various geo-and biochemical processes involving soil minerals, soil mecrobiota, soil moisture and traditional pollutants (predominantly agrochemical if the locality is far from urban or industrial objects). A unique chance to select or better understand and develop a model predicting erosion-controlled transport of radioactive pollutants, based on both theoretical and field studies has been presented by the Chernobyl disaster which occurred in Ukraine in 1986. Our cooperative project will use this opportunity to the fullest extent possible. In the vicinity of Chernobyl there are facilities staffed and equipped to study the process in situ, using artificial rainfall. Numerous soil samples will be taken at various cross-sections and analyzed for moisture content, grain-size and aggregate distribution, chemical and particularly radioactive compounds, etc. both prior to, during and after field experiments. Precipitation, runoff and erosion parameters will be observed, benchmarks installed and periodically leveled. These experimental data would provide necessary input information for computerized mathematical modeling as planned for the second year of studies.
