Airborne spectrometry

Method Type:
Radioactivity
Assigned Problems:
+
Regional Mapping
'+' = Technique applicable.

Regional Mapping

Principle:
Airborne spectrometry is a technique that provides information about the distribution of the natural
isotopes (e.g., elements Potassium (K), Uranium (U) and Thorium (Th)) as well as of artificial
isotopes (e.g., 137Cs).
Keywords:
Airborne spectrometry; airborne radiometric surveys; natural and artifical isotopes; radiometric
element concentration; gamma rediation
Prerequisites:
- Target must be characterized by sufficient radiometric-element contrast
- Survey data corrections needed (e.g., flight height; background scattering)
- Spectrometry should be postponed for about 12 to 24 hours following a 'ground soaking' rain, to
allow soil moisture levels to return to 'pre-rain' levels
Resolution:
A single measurement provides an average surface concentration for an area of several thousand
square metres, composed of variable proportions of bedrock, overburden, soil moisture, water and
vegetation.
Expected Results:
- Measured parameter: counting rate in counts / min or counts / s
- Data analysis: count rates may be converted to ground concentrations (in [ppm] for Uranium
and Thorium; in percent for Potassium [%]) or activities (in Curie per volume (litre) [Ci / l] or
Bequerel per volume [Bq / m3]) for Radon. Data is plotted in contour maps
- Interpretation: requires an understanding of the nature of the surficial materials and their
relationship to bedrock geology. The processing and interpretation may require a digital
elevation model.
Combination with other Methods:
- Required additional information: NA
- Related add-on information: airborne magnetic data; electromagnetic data
- Independent additional information: airborne gravimetric data
Operation Expense:
- Crew size: flight crew (normally 2 pesons); processing and interpretation: 1 key person
- Acquisition speed: 30 - 500 km2 per day, dependent on aircraft type, line spacing and
instruments
- Processing: Requires 1 - 2 days per acquisition day
- Equipment rental costs: high
Parameters to specify:
- Flying height (distance from source)
- Variables to be measured, instruments required (i.e., Integral or spectral measurements)
- Volume of detector required (i.e. for airborne gamma-ray spectrometry)

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Direction of flight (usually 'cross-strike')

Flight line spacing (between 250 m and 1000 m)
Extent of survey
Tolerances for altitude and positional deviations

QC Documents:
- Calibration information
- Document applied corrections (e.g., subtraction of background counts)
- Field notes (e.g., all activities, effective time schedule, present personnel)
Products:
- Maps of total gamma radiation, radiation within a range of interest (ROI), or spectral fractures of
the radiation spectrum
- Maps of radiometric element-concentrations
- Interpretation

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