Prediction of sub-surface 37 Ar concentrations at locations in the Northwestern United States

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2018 · Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.10.005· OSTI ID:1427900

Fritz, Bradley G.; Aalseth, Craig E. ; Back, Henning O.; Hayes, James C.; Humble, Paul H.; Ivanusa, Pavlo; Mace, Emily K.

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, which is intended to prevent nuclear weapon testing, includes a verification regime, which provides monitoring to identify potential nuclear testing. The presence of elevated 37Ar is one way to identify subsurface nuclear testing. However, the naturally occurring formation of 37Ar in the subsurface adds a complicating factor. Prediction of the naturally occurring concentration of 37Ar can help to determine if a measured 37Ar concentration is elevated. The naturally occurring 37Ar background concentration has been shown to vary between less than 1 mBq/m3 to greater than 100 mBq/m3 (Riedmann and Purtschert 2011). Here, we evaluate a model for predicting the average concentration of 37Ar at any depth under transient barometric pressures, and compare it with measurements. This model is shown to compare favorably with concentrations of 37Ar measured at multiple locations in the Northwestern United States.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1427900
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-124417; 400809000
• Journal Information: Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Vol. 181, Issue C; ISSN 0265-931X
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English