Regional and temporal relations of radon in soil gas to soil temperature and moisture

Journal Article · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL017i006p00829· OSTI ID:6001958

Washington, J W; Rose, A W ^[1]

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1. Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA)

In deep soil where diffusional loss is negligible, the Rn concentration in soil gas is controlled by Ra, emanation coefficient (E), dry bulk density ({rho}{sub b}), and particle density ({rho}{sub p}), plus the transient properties of fraction water saturation (F) and temperature because the gaseous/aqueous partition coefficient for Rn (K{sub T}) is temperature sensitive. In a typical soil (Ra = 30 Bq/kg, E = 0.2 {rho}{sub b} = 1.5 g/cm{sup 3}, {rho}{sub p} = 2.65 g/cm{sup 3}), Rn in soil gas (kBq/m{sup 3}) is calculated to range from 21 (T = 0C, F = 0.05) to 78 (T = 25C, F = 0.95). At sites in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, measured soil gas Rn shows seasonal variations of 2- to 10-fold. Much of this variability may be explained by temperature-sensitive gaseous/aqueous partitioning. Since temporal soil moisture and temperature patterns vary geographically, temporal patterns in soil gas Rn vary geographically too. Mean soil gas Rn will tend to be higher in regions with warm or moist soils. Soil temperature and moisture are predictable from soil maps.

• OSTI ID: 6001958
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA) Vol. 17:6; ISSN 0094-8276; ISSN GPRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540230* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
BULK DENSITY
CHEMISTRY
CORRELATIONS
DENSITY
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
EMANATION METHOD
FEDERAL REGION III
FLUIDS
GAS ANALYSIS
GASES
METALS
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
PENNSYLVANIA
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIUM
RADON
RARE GASES
REGIONAL ANALYSIS
SATURATION
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SOILS
TIME DEPENDENCE
TRANSIENTS
USA
VARIATIONS
WATER SATURATION