Radium-226 and radon-222 in Southern California groundwaters: Spatial variations and correlations
As part of the radon and helium monitoring program for earthquake prediction studies in Southern California, concentrations of radium-226 in groundwaters have been measured along the major fault zones including the Palmdale area. Radium was measured in order to obtain information on its spatial variation as well as baseline levels. Several measurements were made at selected sites to examine their temporal variations. Radium concentrations are used to define the portion of radium supported radon in the observed groundwater radon. Radium levels vary spatially by 4 orders of magnitude (0.015 to 146 dpm/kg), but temporally by a factor of 2 or less. Similar spatial and temporal variations are observed in groundwater radon (60 to 46,700 dpm/kg). The radon/radium activity ratio ranges from 10 to 10/sup 5/. These values indicate that radon is in large excess over radium in groundwaters because of radon diffusion from the ambient rocks. The spatial variations of radon, radium and the activity ratio are probably due to different chemical and physical properties of the rocks through which groundwaters flow.
- Research Organization:
- Isotope Laboratory, Scripps Inst. of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
- OSTI ID:
- 6446993
- Journal Information:
- Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States), Vol. 8:5
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
EARTHQUAKES
FORECASTING
PRECURSOR
GROUND WATER
NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY
RADIUM 226
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADON 222
CALIFORNIA
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
SEISMICITY
VARIATIONS
WELLS
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPES
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIUM ISOTOPES
RADON ISOTOPES
SEISMIC EVENTS
USA
WATER
WESTERN REGION
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
580201* - Geophysics- Seismology & Tectonics- (1980-1989)
520300 - Environment
Aquatic- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (1989)