Understanding the Geologic Causes of Variations in Natural Radiological Background - Research Area 2: Environmental Sciences, 2.1.1 Earth Surface Processes
Abstract
Major Goals: Although the sources of natural background radiation are well understood, the geographic distribution has not been characterized at a resolution that is adequate for a variety of homeland security and disaster response purposes. The primary goal of this project is to improve our understanding of the geologic contribution to natural background radiation. This understanding will be useful for developing strategies to predict the distribution of natural background radiation using geologic maps and remote sensing imagery, combined with pre-existing geochemical data. The geologic contribution to background radiation originates from both bedrock and regolith and is thus reflective of bedrock geochemistry as well as surficial processes. Thus the natural background at any particular point is governed by a number of disparate geological processes, including geochemistry at the time of a geologic units formation, subsequent alteration by geochemical processes such as hydrothermal and ground water circulation, and chemical modification caused by weathering and addition of material by eolian and fluvial processes. This project has two major goals: 1) To examine the degree to which variations in exposure rate reflect variations in bed rock chemistry as compared to soil forming processes we proposed to examine variations in K, U and Th as measured by aerial gamma-ray surveys over volcanic units in southern Nevada and Utah for which we have high quality suites of geochemical data. 2) To examine the degree to which variations in exposure rate reflect variations in bed rock chemistry in sedimentary rocks we proposed to examine variations in K, U and Th as measured by the National Uranium Resource Evaluation survey over large outcrops of Paleozoic and Mesozoic sediments present in southern Utah and northern Arizona.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 31, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1199865
Entities
People
- Pamela Burnley
Organizations
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas