Abstract: | The228Ra concentrations of the Dead Sea waters range from 0.13 to 1.48 dpm kg−1, two to three orders of magnitude higher than those of ocean waters and lake waters. However, the228Ra/226Ra activity ratios, (0.12–1.29) × 10−2, are in the range reported for the hydrosphere.The surface waters of the Dead Sea are enriched in228Ra by a factor of about three over the near-bottom waters. There is a factor of about two spatial variability in the mid-depth Ra concentrations at the two profile stations. The near-bottom228Ra gradients yield vertical eddy diffusivity coefficient (K) of 2.0 and 0.4 cm2 s−1 at profile locations 1 and 2 respectively. These values are comparable to those measured in oceans and lakes. |