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Mapping 137Cs at Maralinga nuclear test site, South Australia, using conventional 4-channel airborne gamma-ray spectrometry

Created 17/10/2025

Updated 17/10/2025

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We have developed a simple method for separating the gamma radiation due to 137Cs from that due to natural sources using conventional 4-channel airborne gamma-ray spectrometry. The method uses the fact that whilst the 137Cs photopeak falls within the conventional total-count window, it occurs well below the three windows used to monitor naturally present K, U and Th . Since we know the shapes of the K, U and Th spectra at the survey altitude, we can use these spectra and the 3-channel elemental count-rates to predict a total-count count-rate due to natural sources of radiation. The total-count count-rate due to caesium is then simply the difference between the measured total-count count-rate and the predicted natural source contribution to the total-count window. The method maps the distribution of 137Cs contamination in the vicinity of the Maralinga nuclear test site very effectively.

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Title Mapping 137Cs at Maralinga nuclear test site, South Australia, using conventional 4-channel airborne gamma-ray spectrometry
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/en/dataset/87410f6c-c5ec-4dba-95c5-d06bc8b092c4
Contact Point
Geoscience Australia Data
clientservices@ga.gov.au
Reference Period 20/04/2018
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
{
  "coordinates": [
    [
      [
        130.3,
        -30.8
      ],
      [
        132.0,
        -30.8
      ],
      [
        132.0,
        -29.0
      ],
      [
        130.3,
        -29.0
      ],
      [
        130.3,
        -30.8
      ]
    ]
  ],
  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Geoscience Australia

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Geoscience Australia "Mapping 137Cs at Maralinga nuclear test site, South Australia, using conventional 4-channel airborne gamma-ray spectrometry". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://ecat.ga.gov.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/mapping-137cs-at-maralinga-nuclear-test-site-south-australia-using-conventional-4-channel-airbo