Opportunities for the testing of environmental transport models using data obtained following the Chernobyl accident

The aftermath of the Chernobyl accident has provided a unique opportunity to collect data sets specifically for the purpose of model testing, and with these data to create scenarios against which environmental transport models may be tested in a format constituting a blind test. This article serves as an introduction to three test scenarios designed for testing models at the process level: (1) surface water contamination with radionuclides initially deposited onto soils; (2) contamination of different aquatic media and biota due to fallout of radionuclides into a body of water; and (3) atmospheric resuspension of radionuclides from contaminated land surfaces. These scenarios are the first such tests to use data sets collected in the former Soviet Union. Interested modelers are invited to participate in the test exercises by making calculations for any of these test scenarios. Information on participation is included.