Overview
- The peer-reviewed analysis draws on a 2019 Norwegian deep-sea survey that used the vessel G. O. Sars and the ROV Ægir 6000 to film the wreck and sample water, organisms, and sediment.
- Leaks occur in bursts from specific weak points near a ventilation pipe and the reactor section, producing visible plumes that carry reactor byproducts into the surrounding water.
- Samples taken next to the hull showed cesium levels up to 800,000 times background and strontium up to 400,000 times, with traces of uranium and plutonium indicating ongoing fuel corrosion.
- Contamination drops off within a few meters as seawater dilutes the plumes, with nearby sponges and corals showing only slightly higher cesium and sediments showing little to no buildup.
- A 1994 operation sealed the torpedo compartment and monitoring has found no evidence of weapons‑grade plutonium leakage, while the new findings inform policy on managing other Cold War nuclear losses on the seafloor.