AVATAR-Soils Database: A Database of 137Cs and 239+240Pu in Equatorial and Southern Hemisphere Reference Soils

A total of 1122 reference soil profiles with 137Cs and 239+240Pu data from 135 publications were included to build a database under the AVATAR Project (“A reVised dATing framework for quantifying geomorphological processes during the AnthRopocene”), with a focus on compiling available data from the Equatorial and Southern Hemisphere regions. The AVATAR-Soils Database covers parts of the continents of Asia and the Sub-Saharan Africa, and the whole of Oceania and South America. The 137Cs (decay-corrected to 2024) and 239+240Pu data extracted from the literature include the inventory (in Bq/m2) and average activities (in Bq/kg) of the soil profile collected, and the 137Cs/239+240Pu activity and 239Pu/240Pu atomic ratios. In addition to the 137Cs and 239+240Pu data, the associated spatial, climatic, and topographic parameters and sampling details were also added in the database. The database contains the metadata describing the column names, separate tabs for 137Cs and 239+240Pu, and the list of publications. To cite the AVATAR-Soils Database, please use: Dicen, G., Guillevic, F., Gupta, S., Chaboche, P.-A., Meusburger, K., Sabatier, P., Evrard, O., and Alewell, C.: Distribution and sources of fallout 137Cs and 239+240Pu in equatorial and Southern Hemisphere reference soils, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 1529–1549, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-1529-2025, 2025. ***NOTES TO RESEARCHERS*** Researchers who wish to add data to the AVATAR-Soils Database may do so through the following link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15R-rDMH6zW65B3ok3YRb0cdtyY67X_mdlC0H1t1atoY/edit?usp=drive_link本数据库依托AVATAR项目（"A reVised dATing framework for quantifying geomorphological processes during the AnthRopocene"，即"用于量化人类世地貌过程的修订年代学框架"）构建，共纳入来自135篇文献的1122个土壤参考剖面的铯-137（137Cs）与钚-239+240（239+240Pu）数据，重点汇编赤道与南半球区域的公开可用数据集。 AVATAR-Soils数据库覆盖亚洲与撒哈拉以南非洲的部分区域，以及大洋洲与南美洲全域。 从文献中提取的铯-137（137Cs，衰变校正至2024年）与钚-239+240（239+240Pu）数据，包含所采集土壤剖面的活度库存（单位：贝可每平方米，Bq/m²）与平均活度（单位：贝可每千克，Bq/kg），以及137Cs/239+240Pu活度比与239Pu/240Pu原子比值。 除上述两类核素数据外，数据库还收录了相关的空间、气候与地形参数，以及采样细节信息。 该数据库包含描述列名的元数据、分别针对137Cs与239+240Pu的独立工作表，以及文献列表。 若需引用AVATAR-Soils数据库，请使用以下文献： Dicen, G.、Guillevic, F.、Gupta, S.、Chaboche, P.-A.、Meusburger, K.、Sabatier, P.、Evrard, O. 和 Alewell, C.：《赤道及南半球参考土壤中沉降铯-137与钚-239+240的分布与来源》，《地球系统科学数据》（Earth Syst. Sci. Data），17卷，1529–1549页，https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-1529-2025，2025年。 ***给研究者的说明*** 若希望向AVATAR-Soils数据库添加数据，可通过以下链接提交：https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15R-rDMH6zW65B3ok3YRb0cdtyY67X_mdlC0H1t1atoY/edit?usp=drive_link