The flux of radon and thoron from Australian soils

Journal Article · Tue Jun 20 04:00:00 EDT 1989 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JD094iD06p08567· OSTI ID:5882028

Schery, S D; Whittlestone, S; Hart, K P; Hill, S E

The accumulator technique was used to measure radon and thoron flux density at a variety of locations throughout Australia. This is the first such systematic study of Australia and, in the case of thoron, one of few such studies of any large land mass. Seasonally adjusted arithmetic mean flux densities from Australian soils were estimated to be 22 mBq m/sup /minus/2/ 1.05 atom cm/sup /minus/2/ s/sup /minus/1/ s/sup /minus/1/ for radon and 1.7 Bq m/sup /minus/2/ s/sup /minus/1/ (0.0135 atom cm/sup /minus/2/ s/sup /minus/1/) for thoron. Considerations of statistical sampling error, and systematic error with the accumulator method, leads to an error estimate of about /plus minus/20% for these numbers; projection of total flux to the atmosphere requires consideration of additional sources of error. Only modest correlations with variables easily measured in the field were observed. The strongest correlation was a positive one between flux density and gamma dose rate 1 m above ground. Weaker correlations were seen with soil temperature (positive) and soil mositure (negative at higher moistures). Radon and thoron flux density were strongly correlated, but only a weak correlation (negative) existed between them and vegetation. The amount of radon isotope released to the pore space seems particularly important for controlling the wide variation in observed flux densities, but it remains difficult to predict flux densities based on simple field measurements or information in conventional soil and geological maps. /copyright/ American Geophysical Union 1989

• Research Organization: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro (US); Environmental Science Division, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Menai, New South Wales, Australia; New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro
• OSTI ID: 5882028
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 94:D6; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510300* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION
AUSTRALASIA
AUSTRALIA
CHEMISTRY
CORRELATIONS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FLUIDS
FLUX DENSITY
GASES
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
MOISTURE
NONMETALS
NUCLEI
POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RADON
RADON 220
RADON ISOTOPES
RARE GASES
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SOILS
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS