Temporal and spatial variations of the concentration of the short-lived decay products of radon in the lower atmosphere

The study of natural radioactivity in the lower atmosphere will provide information on turbulent diffusion and transport of air masses in the lower atmosphere. We have, therefore, undertaken a two-part research program. Firstly, we have made a study of natural radioactivity of the atmosphere above a plateau and, secondly, we have taken measurements at different latitudes and longitudes over the continents and the oceans, to obtain the general distribution of the radioactivity in the lower atmosphere. We have found that the radioactivity of the air is much more important over the plateau than over the oceans (100 and 6 times 10−12 Ci m−2, respectively) and more important over the oceans in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere (6 and 1.5 times 10−12 Ci m−3, respectively). From these results, we can suppose that it will be possible, with the aid of natural radioactivity, to identify air masses and to follow the vertical and horizontal diffusions in a given mass of air.DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1966.tb00283.x