Tritium Determinations in the Study of Palsa Formation

Abstract

The tritium concentration has been determined in water from the outermost parts of the frozen core of a palsa and from different parts of the adjacent unfrozen peat. It is shown that the influence on the ground-water of precipitation with a high tritium content is restricted to the uppermost 2–3 m of the peat in the bog. The values of the tritium content in the peat underlying the frozen core of the palsa are still too low (less than 10TU) to be used for the identification of active zones of palsa formation.