RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION IN THE ATLAS CARTOGRAPHY

Yu.A.Izrael, E.V.Kvasnikova

Institute of Global Climate and Ecology under Russian Hydro-meteorological Service and Russian Academy of Sciences,

20-b, Glebovskaya str., 20-b, Moscow,107258, Russia

ranexa.kv@relcom.ru

Radioactive contamination became a global ecological problem at XX century. An experience of mapping of this phenomenon was stored up with the study of consequences of the biggest industrial accident – in Chernobyl.

Under the scientific guidance of prof.Yu.Izrael two important cartographic products have been edited at 1998:

- Atlas of radioactive contamination of the European part of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine (Ed.by Russian Cartography Service and Russian Hydro-meteorological Service);

- Atlas of Cesium deposition on Europe after the Chernobyl accident (ed.by European Comission);

A new National Atlas of Russia includes the volume “Nature. Ecology”, where there is a chapter “State of the environment”. Materials on radioactive contamination were published in it for the first in the practice of National atlas compilation.

This chapter includes the following maps and materials:

History of radioactive contamination field formation by different artificial radionuclides; overview of information on the Chernobyl accident; ¹³⁷Cs contamination of Russia territory due to the atmospheric nuclear explosions of the end of 1950th - beginning of 1960th; accidents and events at the Industrial Plant “Mayak”, Southern Ural, Siberian Chemical Plant in Tomsk and Krasnoyarsk Mining-Chemical Plant on the Enisey-river.

This chapter has an important social and educational significance. It is very important to give the information on the artificial radioactivity widely and evenly.

A new atlas of radioactive contamination is put up in 2006 by creating under the Program of the Union State Russia-Belarus. This idea was initiated by the Emergency Ministry of Russia.

The retrospective, modern and predicting situation of the radioactive contamination field will be given in this atlas including the radiation monitoring data carrying out at the beginning of XXI century. Mapping will be based on the renovated and additional data. Prediction of contamination field without the probable accidents in the future; table showing the dynamics of contamination areas in time will be done.

Conclusion: Mapping of radioactive contamination field for atlas is working up at the 4 spatial-geographical levels:

- global level ( to show the problem on the background of the other global problems);

- semi-global level (Eastern-European Plain, Europe, Nothern Euro-Asia);

- regional level (districts of countries);

- local level (small territories with the more contamination).

Examples of radioactive contamination different scale maps will be presented.