Some measurements of radon in south west England

Summary A survey of radon in soil gas emissions was carried out in the Carnmenellis area of Cornwall to establish the location and extent of any major radon gas concentrations. Measurements of soil radon gas levels showed considerable variation. Radon emission variation with respect to atmospheric pressure was monitored but results showed no correlation between the variables. A survey of schools in the region with high indoor radon concentrations was carried out for comparison with the results of the main survey. A good correlation was found between the two surveys, suggesting that broad-based radon hazard mapping on a local scale may be feasible.     

A geostatistical approach for mapping and uncertainty assessment of geogenic radon gas in soil in an area of southern Italy

Spatial distribution of concentrations of radon gas in the soil is important for defining high risk areas because geogenic radon is the major potential source of indoor radon concentrations regardless of the construction features of buildings. An area of southern Italy (Catanzaro-Lamezia plain) was surveyed to study the relationship between radon gas concentrations in the soil, geology and structural patterns. Moreover, the uncertainty associated with the mapping of geogenic radon in soil gas was assessed. Multi-Gaussian kriging was used to map the geogenic soil gas radon concentration, while conditional sequential Gaussian simulation was used to yield a series of stochastic images representing equally probable spatial distributions of soil radon across the study area. The stochastic images generated by the sequential Gaussian simulation were used to assess the uncertainty associated with the mapping of geogenic radon in the soil and they were combined to calculate the probability of exceeding a specified critical threshold that might cause concern for human health. The study showed that emanation of radon gas radon was also dependent on geological structure and lithology. The results have provided insight into the influence of basement geochemistry on the spatial distribution of radon levels at the soil/atmosphere interface and suggested that knowledge of the geology of the area may be helpful in understanding the distribution pattern of radon near the earth’s surface.     

中国高本底城市的土壤氡水平及分布

在广东珠海地区采用便携式半导体测氡仪进行了大比例尺土壤氡浓度调查,测点数469个,面积大于100km2。珠海地区地下0.6 m处的平均土壤氡浓度为55.94±58.54 kBq/m3,其中在珠海斗门的第四纪沉积物地区、沉积物和风化花岗岩混合地区,以及风化花岗岩地区的土壤氡浓度分别是7.14±8.75,37.64±25.92和151.25±196.23 kBq/m3。高氡潜势区主要分布在黑云母花岗岩、风化花岗岩地区和新的工业开发区,且表现出与当地岩性密切相关。城市化和工业化改变了原有的天然辐射背景。珠海市区的平均土壤氡浓度分别为广州、泉州和晋江市平均值的8.3倍和15倍。研究结果表明：珠海是一个氡潜势较高的区域,需要进一步开展辐射防护目的的氡测量。     

广东中山地区土壤氡浓度填图研究

为了研究区域土壤氡填图的方法,利用RAD7电子测氡仪和RADON-JOK土壤气体渗透率仪在广东省中山市进行了面积为1 800 km2的测量工作,有效测点数为67个。中山市的平均土壤氡浓度为(100.41±154.64)kBq/m3;最大值和最小值分别为0.74 kBq/m3和1 199.24 kBq/m3。土壤气体渗透率测量结果表明,在风化花岗岩地区,高渗透率和中渗透率占优势;而第四纪沉积物地区大部分土壤气体渗透率较低。基于此,结合研究区土壤氡浓度和土壤气体渗透率,对研究区土壤氡风险进行了分级评价。为土壤氡风险分级的方法研究提供了有参考价值的研究实例。     

广西典型岩溶区土壤水分含量空间自相关分析

以广西壮族自治区马山县为研究区,在野外调查、室内实验测试获取182个土壤水分含量数据的基础上,采用半方差函数和Moran’s I统计量对研究区域土壤水分含量的空间自相关关系、空间相关尺度和空间分布规律进行了研究。结果表明:(1)研究区域土壤水含量平均值为16.97%,受结构性因素和随机因素共同作用,土壤水分含量具有中等强度的空间异质性;(2)研究区域土壤水分含量Moran’s I指数为0.423,表明研究区内土壤水分含量存在空间自相关性,在0~21 km和31~34 km范围内土壤水分含量自相关性为正,在21.7~31 km和34~45 km范围内自相关性为负;(3)Lisa聚类图表明,土壤水分含量空间聚集区和空间孤立区相伴存在,其中“高—高”空间聚集主要分布在马山县东北部,“低—低”聚集区主要分布在东南部。“低—低”聚集区和“高—低”孤立区土壤水分含量缺乏风险大。      

Relative spatial soil geochemical variability along two transects across the United States and Canada

To support the development of protocols for the proposed North American Soil Geochemical Landscapes project, whose objective is to establish baselines for the geochemistry of North American soils, two continental-scale transects across the United States and Canada were sampled in 2004. The sampling employed a spatially stratified random sampling design in order to estimate the variability between 40-km linear sampling units, within them, at sample sites, and due to sample preparation and analytical chemical procedures. The 40-km scale was chosen to be consistent with the density proposed for the continental-scale project. The two transects, north–south (N–S) from northern Manitoba to the USA–Mexico border near El Paso, Texas, and east–west (E–W) from the Virginia shore north of Washington, DC, to north of San Francisco, California, closely following the 38th parallel, have been studied individually. The purpose of this study was to determine if statistically significant systematic spatial variation occurred along the transects. Data for 38 major, minor and trace elements in A- and C-horizon soils where less than 5% of the data were below the detection limit were investigated by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). A total of 15 elements (K, Na, As, Ba, Be, Ce, La, Mn, Nb, P, Rb, Sb, Th, Tl and W) demonstrated statistically significant (p < 0.05) variability at the between-40-km scale for both horizons along both transects. Only Cu failed to demonstrate significant variability at the between-40-km scale for both soil horizons along both transects.The patterns of relative variability differ by transect and horizon. The N–S transect A-horizon soils show significant between-40-km scale variability for 29 elements, with only 4 elements (Ca, Mg, Pb and Sr) showing in excess of 50% of their variability at the within-40-km and ‘at-site’ scales. In contrast, the C-horizon data demonstrate significant between-40-km scale variability for 26 elements, with 21 having in excess of 50% of their variability at the within-40-km and ‘at-site’ scales. In 36 instances, the ‘at-site’ variability is statistically significant in terms of the sample preparation and analysis variability. It is postulated that this contrast between the A- and C- horizons along the N–S transect, that is dominated by agricultural land uses, is due to the local homogenization of Ap-horizon soils by tillage reducing the ‘at-site’ variability. The spatial variability is distributed similarly between scales for the A- and C-horizon soils of the E–W transect. For all elements, there is significant variability at the within-40-km scale. Notwithstanding this, there is significant between-40-km variability for 28 and 20 of the elements in the A- and C-horizon data, respectively. The differences between the two transects are attributed to (1) geology, the N–S transect runs generally parallel to regional strikes, whereas the E–W transect runs across regional structures and lithologies; and (2) land use, with agricultural tillage dominating along the N–S transect. The spatial analysis of the transect data indicates that continental-scale maps demonstrating statistically significant patterns of geochemical variability may be prepared for many elements from data on soil samples collected on a 40 × 40 km grid or similar sampling designs resulting in a sample density of 1 site per 1600 km².     

黄土高原区域尺度土壤干燥化的空间和季节分布特征

为掌握黄土高原土壤干燥化程度的空间分布特征,定量评价雨季前、后土壤干燥化程度,于2013年在黄土高原南北方向布设一条样带（N=86）,获取雨季前、后0~5 m剖面土壤含水量。采用地统计学方法分析了土壤干燥化指数的空间分布规律及变异特征。结果表明:在黄土高原地区,土壤干燥化程度存在明显的纬度地带性,且雨季前土壤干燥化指数的空间变异程度高于雨季后;经过雨季降水的补给,土壤干层在一定程度上得到修复,且中部地区的修复效果明显优于南部及北部地区;土壤干燥化指数剖面分布特征在雨季前、后的差异主要表现在浅层0~2.3 m土层,这主要归因于降水对浅层土壤水分的补给。     

From radon hazard to risk prediction-based on geological maps,soil gas and indoor measurements in Germany

Mapped geological units can be regarded as proxies standing for a complex series of subsoil geochemical and physical properties including the assigned radon activity concentration in soil gas, which is taken as best estimator of the regional geogenic radon potential. Areal distribution of measuring sites for soil gas in Germany is adapted to spatial variation of geology. A grid-based and distance-weighted interpolation procedure is applied, following geologically defined neighbourhood relations of measuring sites and accounting for isolated outcrops of known geology but without measurements. To investigate the statistical relationship between indoor radon, house type and building ground specifications, measurements of the indoor radon concentration have been carried out in more than 10,000 dwellings in different regions of Germany. Multiple regression analyses of variance reveal that besides region-specific geological properties and building characteristics, various house type and living style variables significantly contribute to the explained variance for ground floor radon concentrations. These parameters are also dominant in controlling the radon transfer relation from soil gas to indoor air. Risk prediction maps for radon in houses indicating the probability to exceed certain indoor threshold values can be useful especially for regions with no or only a few measurements of indoor radon.     

Soil-gas radon anomalies in three study areas of Central-Northern Calabria (Southern Italy)

Soil-gas radon concentrations and exhalation rates have generally been observed to be anomalously high along active faults in many parts of the world. The soil-gas method is based on the principle that faults and fractures in rocks are highly permeable pathways along which gases can migrate upward from deep crust and mantle to soil cover, retaining their source signatures. The present study summarizes the influence of fault zones on anomalous radon concentrations in soil by integrated geophysical and geo-structural analyses in three study areas of Central-Northern Calabria (Southern Italy). Soil-gas radon surveys have been carried out by means of an alpha scintillation counting system, at 12,509 locations between 2002 and 2004. A geostatistical approach has been used to estimate the spatial distribution of soil radon concentrations. Relations among soil-gas distribution and geo-structural features have been evaluated by ordinary multi-Gaussian kriging. Highest soil radon concentrations (ca. 90 kBq m^?3) have been measured in the Rossanese sector. In the three study areas, no appreciable differences can be noticed among lithotypes, with the highest concentration values (ca. 89 kBq m^?3) measured in alluvial deposit and in clay. Measurements of soil-gas radon reveal anomalies clearly connected to the tectonic structures. Increased signals are linearly distributed along regional WNW–ESE trending shear zones, with main pathways of concentration also recognizable along the E–W fault system in the Rossanese sector, the N–S fault system in the Crati Graben and the Catanzaro Trough, and the NE–SW fault system in the Catanzaro Trough. The distribution of epicentres of historical earthquakes occurred between 1184 and 2001 confirms the recent activity of the same fault systems. Soil-gas radon concentrations generally increase, as expected, with decreasing distance to the faults.     

黄土高原南北样带不同土层土壤水分变异与模拟

为掌握黄土高原区域尺度土壤水分的时空分异特征及其影响因素,在黄土高原布设一条南北方向样带（N=86）,动态监测0~5 m剖面土壤含水率。采用经典统计学方法分析了土壤蓄水量的分布规律、变异特征及影响因素。结果表明:不同土层土壤水分均呈中等程度变异,并由南向北递减,样带0~5 m剖面平均土壤蓄水量为735 mm;随着土层深度的增加,土壤水分在空间上的变异增强,而在时间上的变异减弱,表明深层土壤水分具有较强的时间稳定性特征。干燥度、黏粒、归一化植被指数和坡度是影响区域土壤水分空间分布的主要因素,可作为一定置信水平上预测区域土壤水分空间分布状况的预测变量。     

泉州市、晋江市土壤中氡气浓度与地质背景的关系

通过泉州市、晋江市土壤中氡气测量,取得约465 km2土壤氡气环境调查成果,从结果来看,泉州市区和晋江市区土壤中氡气浓度普遍较低;市郊主要为山地,土壤中氡气浓度普遍较高;从土壤中氡气浓度水平的分布来看,土壤中氡气浓度水平主要与地质背景有关,二长花岗岩、钾长花岗岩、钾长浅粒岩及黑云片岩风化土壤中氡气浓度明显高于其他地质背景来源土壤。     

平原区中大比例尺土壤地球化学调查采样方法--浙江省平湖市试验研究

文章以浙江省平湖市为典型三角洲平原区,开展了多种尺度、不同采样方法的对比试验。结果表明,田块内土壤元素分布较为均匀,小范围内元素的空间分异性较小,而田块之间土壤元素含量差异性明显增加;Hg,Cd等典型污染元素空间分异性较强,而人为污染扰动较弱的元素的空间分布较为均一;不同采样方法取得的区域性资料,其统计值接近,空间分布模式也相似,但有些元素仍有较明显差异。因此,中大比例尺地球化学调查时,应根据调查研究的目标任务,充分考虑地块分布、土壤类型和土地利用方式,选择合理的采样点。土壤样品可采取多坑点采集、多子样组合的方式,以保证样品的代表性,同时减少分析测试工作量。     

Assessment of soil radon potential in Hong Kong, China, using a 10-point evaluation system

Radon and its progenies have been ranked second of being responsible for lung cancer in humans. Hong Kong has four major groups of uranium-rich plutonic and volcanic rocks and is suffering from radon emanated therefrom. However, there is a lack of radon potential maps in Hong Kong to resolve the spatial distribution of radon-prone areas. A ten-point radon potential system was developed in Germany (2005) to predict radon potential using both the in situ geogenic and geographic parameters under hierarchical ranking. Primarily, the ten-point system requires the desk study of the geological environment of sampling sites, which has an advantage of saving resources and manpower in extensive radon potential mapping over the traditional soil radon concentration sampling method. This paper presents a trial of radon potential mapping in Hong Kong to further verify the system. Despite some slight departures, the system demonstrates an acceptable correlation with soil radon concentrations (R ² = 0.62–0.66) from 768 samples of mainly intermediate radon potential. Hong Kong has a mean soil radon concentrations of 58.9 kBqm^?3, while the radon potential from the ten-point system achieves an average of 4.93 out of 10 over the territory. The vicinity of fault zone showed high soil radon concentrations and potentials, which were conducive to uranium enrichment and rapid soil-gas diffusion near faults. High uranium-238 content in soil was found to cause high soil radon concentration with a large R ², 0.84. The Jurassic granite and volcanic crystal tuff cover more than 85 % of the whole Hong Kong area, and they show relatively high radon concentrations (Geometric mean 83 and 49 kBqm^?3, respectively) which are associated with their high uranium contents (Geometric mean 234 and 197 Bqkg^?1, respectively). While indoor radon concentration is an important factor for radon risk assessment, this study has not considered the correlation between indoor radon concentration and radon potential. The reason is that almost all buildings in Hong Kong are high-rise buildings where indoor radon concentrations are governed only by the radium content in the building materials and the ventilation conditions.     

A geostatistical basis for spatial weighting in multivariate classification

Earth scientists and land managers often wish to group sampling sites that are both similar with respect to their properties and near to one another on the ground. This paper outlines the geostatistical rationale for such spatial grouping and describes a multivariate procedure to implement it. Sample variograms are calculated from the original data or their leading principal components and then the parameters of the underlying functions are estimated. A dissimilarity matrix is computed for all sampling sites, preferably using Gower's general similarity coefficient. Dissimilarities are then modified using the variogram to incorporate the form and extent of spatial variation. A nonhierarchical classification of sampling sites is performed on the leading latent vectors of the modified dissimilarity matrix by dynamic clustering to an optimum. The technique is illustrated with results of its application to soil survey data from two small areas in Britain and from a transect. In the case of the latter results of spatially weighted classifications are compared with those of strict segmentation. An appendix lists a Genstat program for a spatially constrained classification using a spherical variogram as an example.     

江苏基础地质工作程度概述

江苏基础地质工作开展较早，研究程度较高，从区域地质调查，地球物理勘探，地球化学勘探三方面对江苏的基础地质工作情况进行了概述。     

Reconnaissance soil-gas radon survey over the faulted crystalline area of Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Tropical rain forest areas are well known for problems with geological mapping because of the dense vegetation and thick overburden. The application of soil-gas radon measurements was carried out over known and suspected fault zones in the basement terrains of Ile-Ife, southwestern Nigeria. Radon concentration in the area ranged from 25.6 to 6,227.8 pCi/l, with distinct contrasts and overlap in concentrations among soil groups derived from various rock types. Radon concentrations in the soil exhibit a strong dependence on the local geology and reflect the bedrock geochemistry. Relatively high radon soil-gas concentrations of between 4,000 and 6,227.8 pCi/l were found directly on the axis of the known and suspected strike slip faults. The use of the radon-222 technique confirms its application as a useful tool in geological and structural mapping in basement terrains largely covered by relatively thick overburdens.     

Detection of sinkholes using 2D electrical resistivity imaging in the Cheria Basin (north–east of Algeria)

Sinkhole collapse is one of the main limitations on the development of karst areas, especially where bedrock is covered by unconsolidated material. Studies of sinkhole formation have shown that sinkholes are likely to develop in cutter (enlarged joint) zones as a result of subterranean erosion by flowing groundwater. Electrical resistivity imaging or tomography (RESTOM) is well suited to mapping sinkholes because of the ability of the technique for detecting resistive features and discriminating subtle resistivity variations. Two-dimensional electrical resistivity tomography surveys were conducted at two sinkhole sites near Cheria city where limestone is covered by about 10 m of clayey soils. A Wenner transect was conducted between the two sinkholes. The electrode spacing was 2 m. The length of transect is about 80 m. The survey results suggest that RESTOM is an ideal geophysical tool to aid in the detection and monitoring of sinkholes and other subsurface cavities.     

浙江嘉善土壤地球化学背景及生态质量评价

通过嘉善全县域4点／km^2密度的表层土壤调查采样调查,取得土壤地球化学元素含量背景值,并依据相关标准进行土壤养分质量和环境质量评价。统计分析表明：全县表层土壤地球化学元素含量空间变异小;土壤养分元素中,有机质、氮、钾总体丰富,磷在该县东南部丰富、西北部缺乏,钼在较多地区缺乏,铁、锰、铜、锌均属丰富,硼为中等含量,有效性钙、有效镁含量丰富,有效态硫、有效硅绝大部分为丰富区;表层土壤的环境质量总体为轻度污染,中度污染区零星分布。     

地表基质分类及调查初步研究

地表基质分类研究是开展地表基质调查的基础,而厘清地表基质的科学内涵、时空展布特征、支撑服务目标及调查精度等是开展调查的前提条件。文章充分借鉴区域地质、水文地质、工程地质、第四纪地质、环境地质等学科分类和图件表达方式,综合岩石、砾石、沙、土壤等的物质组成、成因类型、地貌形态和粒度质地等,初步将地表基质的类型划分为四个层级,并提出了地表基质层的物质组成、成因属性和研究深度范围,指出了未来开展地表基质调查和编图的主要方向,结果为地表基质统一分类体系构建和全国范围开展的地表基质调查提供了参考依据。     

Soil gas radon concentrations along the Ganos Fault (GF)

In this study, soil radon levels have been measured for the first time across the Ganos fault (GF), which is known as the western part of the North Anatolian Fault Zone. LR 115 Type 2 Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (time integrated) have been applied to determine soil gas radon levels, and the survey was performed in 16 stations along the fault line. The results showed that soil gas radon concentrations and variation of concentration levels are comparable high along the fault line. It is also observed that in the middle of the Ganos Fault, fairly elevated radon levels were detected. These can be related to the activity of the fault lines. It is confirmed that the study area has a very active tectonic structure and is great location for analyzing radon variations.