The EXTREME project consequences of paroxystic meteo climatic events on the translocation of contaminants within the geosphere

Institute for radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, Environment and Emergency Operations Division, Environmental Radioactivity Study and Monitoring Department, Continental and Marine Radioecological Research Laboratory, Centre de Cadarache, BP. 3, 13115 Saint Paul-Lez-Durance, France

Abstract

The EXTREME project was launched by the IRSN in 2005 to study the consequences of extreme meteo climatic events on reuptake of stocks and associated fluxes within the various compartments of the geosphere. Large masses of matter transferred during such events are liable to be displaced between locations, leading to higher pollution levels than those arising from average transfer processes, and producing pollutant fluxes that can be equivalent to the fluxes accumulated over several months or even years. This particularly concerns particle-reactive contaminants such as trace metals and long lived artificial radionuclides. The final aim of the project is to estimate the vulnerability of a coastal system (the Gulf of Lions, north western Mediterranean sea) to global change over the next 30 years. Indeed several programs dedicated to climate change predict a potential increase in the frequency of extreme events such as floods, floodings, saharian dust episodes, forest fire events and storms, particularly within the studied area.