Application for 222Rn in atmospheric research
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Date
2012-10-16
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
Abstract
Radon-222 (radon) is a relatively short-lived (half-life 3.82 d), naturally occurring, radioactive gas, with a relatively consistent and well-defined terrestrial flux, and almost negligible oceanic flux. Being a noble, poorly-soluble gas that does not accumulate in the atmosphere, it is an ideal tracer of recent (<2-3 weeks) air mass
contact with ice-free terrestrial regions. In conjunction with air mass back trajectory analysis, radon is thus a useful tool with which to perform fetch analyses for observed pollution events. Since radon’s half-life is much greater than the turbulent timescale in the atmospheric boundary layer (~1 hour), it can be considered a
conservative tracer in such situations. Consequently, radon profiles or gradient measurements in the lower atmosphere also provide valuable insight into vertical mixing processes under a range of atmospheric conditions. This presentation will provide an overview of ANSTO’s radon measurement capabilities (including: standalone detectors, tall-tower gradient measurements, aircraft profile measurements and flux chambers), with recent examples of their recent application. Radon’s physical characteristics also make it ideal for the evaluation of transport and mixing schemes of weather, climate or chemical models. This presentation will
also showcase a radon flux map of Australia, developed at ANSTO to improve the radon source function employed in regional models.
Description
Keywords
Radon 222, Half-life, Radiation flux, Tracer techniques, Ice, Air, Atmospheres
Citation
Chambers, S. D., Williams, A. G., Zahorowski, W., & Griffiths, A. D. (2012). Application for 222Rn in atmospheric research. Paper presented to the 12th South Pacific Environmental Radioactivity Association Conference (SPERA 2012), Sydney, Australia, Tuesday 16 October – Friday 19 October 2012. Lucas Heights, NSW: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. (pp. 12).