GROUND ROUGHNESS EFFECTS FOR FALLOUT-CONTAMINATED TERRAIN: COMPARISON OF MEASUREMENTS AND CALCULATIONS

Technical Report · Wed May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1963

OSTI ID:4712539

Ferguson, J M

The effect of ground roughness on the radiation field above fallout- contaminated ground is studied. At past weapons tests, the dose rate over fallout-contaminated ground has been measured as a function of height and angle. These measurements are compared with calculations of the same quantities for 1.12- hr fission products uniformly distributed on a smooth plane. None of the experiments is detailed enough to lead to firm conclusions about the ground roughness effect. However, the data indicate that the ground roughness effect can be simulated by assuming that the fallout is buried under a thin layer of material. For desert terrain this thickness of material is equivalent to about 25 plus or minus 10 ft of air. At 3 ft above the ground this corresponds to a reduction in dose rate by a factor of 0.6 to 0.7, compared to what would be received over a smooth plane. (auth)

• Research Organization: Naval Radiological Defense Lab., San Francisco
• NSA Number: NSA-17-029139
• OSTI ID: 4712539
• Report Number(s): USNRDL-TR-645
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ANGULAR DISTRIBUTION
CONTAMINATION
DISTRIBUTION
EARTH
EFFICIENCY
FALLOUT
FISSION PRODUCTS
HEALTH AND SAFETY
LAYERS
LEVELS
MATHEMATICS
MEASURED VALUES
MOCKUP
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
RADIATION DOSES
SURFACES
THICKNESS