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Estimation of Radioactive Heat 
Production
from Airborne Spectral Gamma-Ray
Data of Gebel Duwi Area, Egypt
By
Ahmed S. K. Salem1, Abuelhoda M. Elsirafi2, Alaa A. Aref2, Atef A. Mahmoud2, Keisuke Ushijima1
(1) Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan (2) Nuclear Materials Authority, Cairo, Egypt
Radioactive heat production is governed by the amount of potassium, uranium,
and thorium in rocks. Airborne radiometric surveys provide a fast estimate of
the surface concentrations of potassium, uranium and thorium. However,
utilization of airborne gamma- ray surveys in estimating radioactive heat
production has not been presented. In this paper, we attempt to estimate the
radioactive heat production from airborne spectral gamma-ray data of Gebel Duwi
area, Egypt. A map of radioactive heat production was constructed from airborne
gamma-ray data. The validity of estimating heat production from airborne data
was confirmed using ground measurements. The area possesses a range of
radioactive heat production varying from 0.21 mWm-3 to 3.09 mWm-3. The
sedimentary rocks of the study area show values (0.25 mWm-3 to 3.09 mWm-3)
higher than those given for the crustal sedimentary rocks. Meanwhile, the
igneous rocks show average value (1.48 mWm-3) below the average for the crustal
granites. The high values of heat production in the sedimentary rocks are mainly
related to the relative increase of uranium content in Duwi phosphate formation.
The reduced heat production of igneous rocks indicates that additional
components combine with the radioactive heat production to the heat sources in
the Gebel Duwi area. Generally, the results indicate that the use of airborne
gamma-ray data to produce heat production
map is a promising technique.