Radioactive heat production characterization of Ar-Rassafeh Badyieh area (area-2), Syria by using aerial gamma ray spectrometric and fractal modeling techniques

Abstract

Aerial gamma-ray spectrometric technique is used herein to evaluate the radioactive heat production (HP) of Ar-Rassafeh Badyieh Area (Area-2), Syria. The nine already established lithological scored units of Area-2 have been separately characterized for the heat production HP parameter. The Concentration-number (C-N) model and the log-log plots associated with fractal technique are proposed and applied as a new approach to map the measured equivalent uranium (eU), the equivalent thorium (eTh), and potassium (K%) and the computed heat production (HP) of Area-2. The HP of Area-2 varies between a minimum of 0.06 and a maximum of 4.28 ?w/m3 with an average of 0.548 ?w/m3 and a standard deviation of 0.27?w/m3. The highest observed HP values are related to the phosphatic environments represented by two lithological scored units A and B.