Developments Toward a Risk Management Tool for Simulations of Marine Transport of Radioactivity in the Oceans — a Case Study from the Kara Sea

The Arctic particularly the Kara and Barents Seas, has been heavily exposed to radioactivity, due to the fallout from the nuclear testing activities mainly on the Novaya Zemlya during the 1950s and 60s. However, the current level of radioactive contamination in these areas are relatively low as compared to other European waters. The typical levels of radioactive Caesium in the Kara Sea for the period 1987–1994 are in the order of 6 Becquerel/m3 whereas the levels in the Baltic, Kattegatt and North Sea are respectively about 20, 8 and 3 times higher [Anon., 1994].