Experimental gamma-ray spectrometer snow survey over Southern Ontario

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

OSTI ID:4159889

Grasty, R L; Loijens, H S; Ferguson, H L; Santeford, H S; Smith, J L

In the winter of 1972--1973, four gamma-ray spectrometer surveys, each 1850 km long, were flown over Southern Ontario at 150 m, using a 50,000 cm$sup 3$ sodium iodide detector system. Total radioactivity and potassium information was used to calculate a snow-water equivalent for 16 km sections along each flight line. The airborne results are compared with ground data from 10 snow courses established along the flight lines. A root mean square deviation of 1.2 cm water equivalent was found between the ground and potassium-airborne results, whereas a deviation of 1.7 cm water equivalent was calculated between data from the ground and those from the total radioactivity information. Soil moisture corrections from measurements at selected sites were found to decrease the calculated snow- water equivalent an average of 1.7 cm. Errors in the soil moisture measurements and background variations encountered along the flight lines were found to be more important than statistical errors. (auth)

• Research Organization: Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa; comps.; SEE CODE- 4415000 National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C. (USA)
• NSA Number: NSA-33-007307
• OSTI ID: 4159889
• Report Number(s): CONF-731201--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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