Radioactive beryllium in the atmosphere and on the earth

Abstract

It is estimated that about 1,000 nuclei of radioactive Be¹⁰ (2.7 million years half-life) are produced per square meter per second by cosmic ray induced nuclear disintegrations in the atmosphere. The conditions for observing the resulting activity in rain water and in various regions on the earth are favourable and may be useful for measuring sedimentation rates and other geological surface changes during the tertiary.