An aerial radiological survey of Maralinga and EMU, South Australia
An aerial radiological survey was conducted over the former British nuclear test ranges at Maralinga and Emu in South Australia from May through July 1987. The survey covered an area of approximately 1,550 square kilometers which included the nine major trial sites, where a nuclear yield occurred, and all the minor trial sites, where physics experiments were conducted. Flight lines were flown at an altitude of 30 meters with line spacings of 50, 100, and 200 meters depending on the area and whether man-made contamination was present. Results of the aerial survey were processed for americium-241 (used to determine plutonium contamination), cesium-137, cobalt-60, and uranium-238. The aerial survey also detected the presence of europium-152, a soil activation product, in the immediate vicinity of the major trial ground zeros. Ground measurements were also made at approximately 120 locations using a high-resolution germanium detector to provide supplemental data for the aerial survey. This survey was conducted as part of a series of studies being conducted over a two to three-year timeframe to obtain information from which options and associated costs can be formulated about the decontamination and possible rehabilitation of the former nuclear test sites.
- Research Organization:
- EG and G Energy Measurements, Inc., Las Vegas, NV (United States). Remote Sensing Lab.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC08-88NV10617
- OSTI ID:
- 5746113
- Report Number(s):
- EGG-10617-1156; ON: DE92009126
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Comparative Plutonium-239 Dose Assessment for Three Desert Sites: Maralinga, Australia; Palomares, Spain; and the Nevada Test Site, USA - Before and After Remedial Action
Rehabilitation of the former nuclear test sites at Maralinga
Related Subjects
AUSTRALIA
AERIAL SURVEYING
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
RADIOMETRIC SURVEYS
AMERICIUM 241
CESIUM 137
COBALT 60
COMPILED DATA
CONTAMINATION
DATA ACQUISITION
EUROPIUM 152
GAMMA DETECTION
GAMMA SOURCES
GE SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
GROUND TRUTH
MAPPING
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
RADIATION MONITORING
URANIUM 238
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
AUSTRALASIA
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM ISOTOPES
COBALT ISOTOPES
DATA
DETECTION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EUROPIUM ISOTOPES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INFORMATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MONITORING
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
RADIATION DETECTION
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOISOTOPES
RARE EARTH ISOTOPES
SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES
SURVEYS
URANIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOT
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
540250* - Environment
Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (1990-)
540230 - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)