Long-lived radionuclides in ferromanganese crusts

¹ Accelerator Mass Spectrometry and Isotope Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328 Dresden, Germany.
² Department of Nuclear Physics and Accelerator Applications, The Australian National University, 2600 Canberra, Australia.
³ Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics, TUD Dresden University of Technology, 01069 Dresden, Germany.

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Published online: 13 May 2026

Abstract

A large variety of long-lived radionuclides are present in ferromanganese crusts and can be used for the reconstruction of Earth's climate or the discovery of astrophysical events in Earth's past. Here, we present a selection of long-lived radionuclides that can be measured in ferromanganese crusts by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). The recent discoveries of cosmogenic as well as interstellar radionuclide anomalies within the last 10 million years showcase the scientific value of these geological archives. Technological developments, in particular in element separation chemistry to isolate radionuclides with e.g. a new rapid procedure for ¹⁰Be isolation as well as in measurement capabilities at the new Helmholtz Accelerator Mass Spectrometer Tracing Environmental Radionuclides (HAMSTER) will facilitate future investigations of a wide range of long-lived radionuclides.