Natural gamma spectral peak method for snow measurement from aircraft

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1974

OSTI ID:4159817

Bissell, V C; Santeford, H S; Smith, J L

The accuracy of airborne measurements of snow water equivalent over large areas using the $sup 40$K gamma radiation spectral peak is limited both by the accuracy of soil moisture estimates and by variation in general radon distributions between missions. The accuracy of the $sup 208$Tl spectral peak method is constrained only by soil moisture estimate accuracy and is therefore preferred over large areas. The use of an optimal linear combination of the $sup 40$K and $sup 208$Tl method water equivalent measurements significantly improves accuracy over small basins where only one or two flights are made. To complement current literature on gamma snow surveys, dynamic aspects of radon in both soil and atmosphere are reviewed. (auth)

• Research Organization: National Weather Service, Silver Spring, MD; comps.; SEE CODE- 4415000 National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C. (USA)
• NSA Number: NSA-33-007310
• OSTI ID: 4159817
• Report Number(s): CONF-731201--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

*SNOW-- DEPTH
510101* --Environmental Sciences
Terrestrial--Basic Studies- -Radiometric Techniques
AERIAL MONITORING
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
EARTH CRUST
ERRORS
GAMMA SOURCES
GAMMA SPECTROMETERS
MEASURING METHODS
N44420* --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Radiometric Techniques--Soil
NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY
WATER