Mon Taj 256 Channel Radiometric S Processing

montaj 256-Channel
Radiometrics Processing
Radiometric Processing Extension for Oasis montaj v6.1
USER GUIDE and TUTORIAL
www.geosoft.com
The software described in this manual is furnished under license and may
only be used or copied in accordance with the terms of the license.
Manual release date: 2/2/2005.
Written by, Nancy Whitehead and Chris Musselman. Please send comments
or questions to info@geosoft.com
Copyright Geosoft Inc. 2005. All rights reserved. No part of this

publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in
any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo-copying, reading, or
otherwise, without prior consent from Geosoft Inc.
Program Copyright Geosoft Inc. 2005. All rights reserved.
Geosoft and Oasis montaj are registered trademarks of Geosoft Inc.

GEOSOFT, Oasis are trademarks of Geosoft Inc.
Windows, and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or

trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Geosoft Incorporated
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Contents
Geosoft License Agreement 1
Finding More Help Information 3
Contacting Technical Support 3
Chapter 1: System Overview 5
Acquiring Airborne Spectrometer Data 5
Working with 256-Channel Radiometrics Processing 6
Correcting Instrument Deadtime/Livetime Effects 6
Applying Nonlinear and Lowpass Filters 7

Description of Nonlinear Filtering 9
D e s c r i p t i o n o f L o wp a s s F i l t e r i n g 9
Correcting Radar Altimeter Data to Standard Temperature and Pressure 9
Removing Cosmic and Aircraft Background 10

Comparing Default Cosmic and Aircraft
Background Parameters 11
Removing Radon Background Radiation 11

R e m o v i n g R a d o n B a c k g r o u n d u s i n g U p wa r d
Looking Data 12
Removing Radon Background using the
Background Table Method 13
Removing Aircraft, Cosmic and Radon
Background Interactively 14
Evaluating Aircraft, Cosmic or Radon Background
Individually 15
Stripping Spectral Overlap from Data 15
Removing the Effects of Attenuation 17
Converting Count Rates to Apparent Radioelement Concentrations 18
Complete Expressions for Apparent Radioelement Concentrations 18
Calculating the Ground Level Exposure Rate 19

Calculating U/TH, U/K and TH/K Ratios 19
Chapter 2: Importing 256 Radiometric Data 21
Chapter 3: Tutorial 23
Before you begin 23
Create a Project 23
Load the RPS menu 24
Open a Database 25
Step 1: Windowing Full Spectrum Data 25
Windowing a Single Channel 26
Subset Window (Optional) 27
Step 2: Configuring RPS Data 28
Step 3: Preparing Data 29

Checking Preprocessed Results 30
Answers to Some Common Preparation Questions 30
Step 4: Removing Background Radiation 31
Answers to Common Background Removal Questions 37
Step 5: Correcting Airborne Spectrometer Data 38
Answers to Some Common Questions about Corrections 39
Step 6: Calculating U/TH, U/K and TH/K Ratios 39
Answers to Some Common Ratioing Questions 40
Applying Batch Processing to Your Dataset 41
Glossary 43
1
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3
Finding More Help Information

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may be useful to your work. The entire documentation for the system is available
through the online help system. This electronic library of information enables us to
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information available.
The best way to find information in this system is to use the Search tab to perform a
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Contacting Technical Support
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Chapter 1: System Overview

The montaj 256-Channel Radiometrics Processing extension for Oasis montaj is
designed to work with airborne spectrometer data. The application comprises a
special menu and software programs called Geosoft Executables (GXs) that provides
the capability to visualize and process 256 channel spectrometer data.
Airborne spectrometer surveyors collect data that permit the in-situ evaluation of the
concentrations of potassium (K), Thorium (Th) and Uranium (U) in the surface in a
designated survey area. The instrumentation and the amount of data collected vary
from system to system, but the survey objective is the same to extract and present
K, Th and U concentrations and Total Count (TC) data for interpretation.
From a data handling and processing perspective, there are three main phases in
airborne spectrometer surveying - acquisition, processing and presentation. montaj
256-Channel Radiometrics Processing is designed specifically for processing raw
data collected from airborne surveys.
In this chapter, we review each radiometric data handling and processing phase, and
the related concepts that guided the design of montaj 256 Channel Radiometrics
Processing. We also describe the specific tasks you can perform with this set of
GXs.
Acquiring Airborne Spectrometer Data

Airborne spectrometer (raw) data are collected by flying a survey system on parallel
survey lines over small to large areas. Survey systems are installed in either fixed-
wing or rotary-winged aircraft, depending on the terrain conditions, size of area and
type of earth science application.
Systems typically record multispectral gamma rays detected in 255 channels over an
energy range of 0 to 3000 keV. Standard recording windows are shown in the table
below.
Window Name Minimum Maximum Major Radionuclide

Energy (keV) Energy (keV) Peak (keV)
Potassium (K) 1370 1570 1460 K-40

Uranium (U) 1660 1860 1765 Bi-214
Thorium (TH) 2410 2810 2614 Tl-208
Total Count (TC) 410 2810 N/A N/A
Cosmic (COS) 3000 N/A N/A
Potassium, Thorium and Uranium concentrations in the ground are derived from the
K, Th and U energy windows and the total ground radioactivity is represented by the
Total Count window. Radioactivity from extra-terrestrial sources is reflected in the
Cosmic window. Cosmic window data are used to evaluate and remove cosmic
background radiation from other windows.
Most systems separate (or bin) gamma into pre-determined energy windows, and
record the summed count rate (in counts per second) for each window. The nominal
sample rate is one sample per second. In addition, modern systems record the full 256
channel spectrum each second. This data can be used for:
Quality control checks on spectrometer energy calibration
Adjusting or re-calibrating the standard windows if necessary
Extracting other (new) window data in order to apply a different analysis method
Working with 256-Channel Radiometrics Processing

To process airborne spectrometer data, you initially require a set of unprocessed
(raw), survey measurements (plus field notes) and airborne system calibration
information (from the survey contractor or extracted from test, calibration and survey
data). The objective is to process the raw data to obtain a set of corrected or final data
that you can interpret (qualitatively and quantitatively) and present in one or more
graphical formats.
When working with large volumes of data, one strategy is to divide processing tasks
into logical steps. This enables you to view interim results after each step, and to
monitor data quality and the effectiveness of selected processing parameters. montaj
256-Channel Radiometrics Processing organizes tasks as follows:
Import raw 256 channel data into an array channel.
Window full spectrum data to create channels for K, U, TH, and TC.
Correct raw data for instrument deadtime, apply filters to average data and
improve statistics, and correct survey altitude to Standard Temperature and
Pressure (STP).
Remove background contributions from aircraft radioactivity, cosmic radiation
and atmospheric radon.
Correcting data by removing spectral overlapping (stripping) and height
attenuation effects, and converting data to apparent radioelement concentrations.
Calculating radioelement concentration ratios.
Correcting Instrument Deadtime/Livetime Effects
Spectrometer data are typically acquired in units measured in counts per second. The
instrumentation may require some time each second to process the incoming data -
during this time period no counts are made. This time is referred to as equipment
deadtime. Alternatively, some systems record the time during which the crystal is
actually "on", in which case, the resulting value is referred to as the livetime (sample
period minus the deadtime).
256-Channel Radiometrics Processing enables you to apply either deadtime or

livetime corrections to your TC, K, Th, U and Cosmic data.
Some older systems use a measured "average deadtime per pulse" to estimate total
deadtime (proportional to the Total Count channel). If you select "deadtime" and
specify a value (in microseconds), the GX applies the following:
N = n / (1 - TC * t * 10-6)
Where:
N = corrected count in each second
n = raw recorded count in each second
TC= raw total count data value
t = equipment dead time (deadtime per pulse in microseconds). This value is
typically supplied by the survey contractor.
If you do not want to apply the deadtime correction (because you have livetime data
or you want to see the data without the correction), set the deadtime value to zero (0).
When you specify a livetime channel name, the system applies a livetime correction:
N = n * 10-3 / lt
Where:
N = corrected count in each second
n = raw recorded count in each second
lt = equipment livetime (in milliseconds)
Note: It is also possible to use a deadtime channel in montaj 256-Channel
Radiometrics Processing by converting it to a livetime channel. The
fastest way to do this is to create a new channel, for example livetime, and
apply a math expression. Then enter the new channel name as the livetime
channel. To apply the required expression in Oasis montaj, first select the
entire livetime channel (click three times on the channel header) and press
the equal sign (=). The system displays the math expression window. Type
1000 - dt (where dt is the name of your deadtime channel in microseconds)
in the window and press the [Enter] key. The system applies the expression
and updates the channel with the new values.
Applying Nonlinear and Lowpass Filters
montaj 256-Channel Radiometrics Processing enables you to implement both

nonlinear and lowpass filters at various stages of the data processing cycle. Note that
you can turn any filter off simply by specifying zero (0) for the width (nonlinear) or
cutoff (lowpass) parameters.
Nonlinear filtering functionality is provided to assist in:

Removing spike-like noise in spectrometry data related to instrumentation effects

Compensating for sudden shifts in radar altimeter data.
Lowpass filtering is provided to help you:
Reduce statistical noise in cosmic data and improve the statistics of radiometric
window data
Smooth the estimated atmospheric radon value calculated from the upward-
looking window. A heavy filter (>100 seconds) is required to improved the
statistical reliability of this process
Smooth any remaining noise in corrected potassium, uranium and thorium
channels prior to calculating ratios
In general, radiometric window data should rarely require spike removal; however, it
can benefit from filtering to help improve the statistical reliability of each data point.
This can be done at an early stage (after livetime correction) but may also be done
later since the radiometric reduction procedures are linear.
The degree and type of filtering selected will depend somewhat on the survey
parameters detector volume, ground clearance, aircraft speed, radioactivity of the
area, etc. Since the "sensing footprint" of the airborne gamma spectrometer has a
diameter of approximately four times the ground clearance, there is a considerable
"overlap" in information between adjacent samples (assuming reasonable aircraft
speed). It is therefore, possible to use a lowpass (or other suitable) filter to improve
the statistical reliability without significantly degrading the "spatial resolution"
(ability to detect significant changes in radioelement content from data point to data
point or to resolve narrow peaks).
Filter widths between three and seven data points (assuming one second data) are
appropriate for most surveys. It may be necessary to apply a stronger filter to the U
channel due to lower count rates.
To determine whether you need to use filtering, we suggest you display or plot your
data, set filter parameters and run the corresponding GX. Repeat this process until
you are comfortable with the resulting data. Generally, for production surveys, the
parameters remain the same from survey to survey. However, you should still look at
both raw and filtered data to validate your parameter selections.
Note: It is possible that you may want to implement another type of filter, such as
a standard deviation or variable width filter.
The standard deviation filter is sometimes used in place of a nonlinear filter
to eliminate signal that is outside of a specified statistical range.
Alternatively, the variable width filter may be used to improve counting
statistics by comparing a data value with a certain statistical degree of
confidence and sum adjacent data points until the confidence is met.
If you are interested in applying additional filters, we suggest that you

implement this step prior to running 256-Channel Radiometrics
Processing. When you run the system, you can then turn off any of the
built-in filters that you do not require.
D ESCRIPTION OF N ONLINEAR F ILTERING
A nonlinear filter is highly effective for removing high amplitude and short
wavelength noise from data. It is often thought of as a noise spike-rejection filter, but
it can also be effective for removing short wavelength geological features, such as the
signal due to near surface features. A nonlinear filter can be followed by a linear
lowpass filter to smooth any low-amplitude noise that may remain.
Geosoft's nonlinear filter uses a method similar to that described by Naudy and
Dreyer, 1968, to locate and remove data that is recognized as noise. The algorithm is
'nonlinear' because it looks at each data point and decides if that data is noise or valid
signal. If the point is noise, it is removed and replaced by an estimate based on
surrounding data points. Parts of the data that are not considered noise are not
modified. Linear filters lack such a decision capability and therefore modify all data.
The decision algorithm is based on the width of features in the data and the amplitude
of those features relative to a local background. In order to be considered noise, a
feature must be narrower than a specified width (in data points) and of greater
amplitude than a specified amplitude tolerance (in data units). For example, single
spikes in the data will have a width of 3 points.
D ESCRIPTION OF L OWPASS F ILTERING
A lowpass filter will smooth the input data by the application of a low-pass
convolution filter to the data. The filter is called 'lowpass' because it allows low
frequencies (long wave numbers) to pass to the output channel. All wavenumbers
above the cutoff wavenumber (in cycles/metre) are removed.
The convolution filter is designed using the Fraser method (1966). The default length
is as long as the cutoff wavelength, which produces a filter that exhibits a minimum
of side effects, such as Gibb's phenomena. A lowpass filter is considered linear
because all data is treated by the filter equally. This can be a problem when
attempting to remove short-wavelength, but high amplitude features because quite
strong filters may be required. Such filters can affect parts of the data that you did
not intend to disturb. An alternative is to use a nonlinear filter.
Correcting Radar Altimeter Data to Standard Temperature and Pressure
In order to apply the radiometric analysis technique, it is necessary to convert actual

conditions to "standard" conditions. The measured ground clearance is adjusted to
standard temperature and pressure (STP). This "effective height" has the same mass
of STP air between the ground and the aircraft as that experienced during actual data
acquisition.
montaj 256-Channel Radiometrics Processing applies the required correction

(using the RPSFILT GX) as follows:
he = (h * P * 273) / (1013 * (T + 273))
Where:
he = Effective height AGL (above ground level) at STP (metres)

h = Filtered radar altitude (metres)
T = Measured air temperature in C
P = Barometric pressure in kPa. If your data are not in millibar units, you must
convert them before running the Preparation GX. The conversion factor
is 101.325 kPa equals 1013.25 mbar.
This calculation assumes that you have radar altimeter, temperature and air pressure
data. However, some systems do not provide pressure data. If this is the case, we
recommend that you use a barometric altimeter or GPS Z data and calculate the
barometric pressure. This can be done by creating a new channel and using the math
editor to calculate:
P = 101.325 exp (-H / 8581)
Where:
H = barometric altitude in metres
If the value for H is supplied from a barometric altimeter set to provide "pressure
altitude" (i.e. reference pressure set to 29.92 inches of mercury), the above expression
is accurate. When H is supplied from GPS Z or a barometric altimeter that has been
set to provide actual aircraft altitude, the above expression is somewhat in error due
to the range of daily variations in atmospheric pressure from changing weather.
However, this error has a relatively small impact on the radiometric results.
Before converting to equivalent height (he) at STP, you may need to lightly filter your
radar altimeter data to remove the effects of sudden jumps. We recommend that you
examine your data initially to determine whether you need to apply a lowpass filter in
the RPSFILT GX.
Removing Cosmic and Aircraft Background
Cosmic radiation background is caused by high-energy cosmic ray particle interaction

with the atmosphere (increasing exponentially with altitude). There is also
background radiation from the radioactivity of the aircraft and its equipment. Your
data acquisition contractor should provide cosmic stripping factors and aircraft
backgrounds for each channel. These are obtained from a cosmic calibration flight at
a range of altitudes in "radon-free" conditions.
The RPSLEVL GX calculates the cosmic and aircraft background correction for each
window at each data point and subtracts the background from the data. montaj 256-
Channel Radiometrics Processing calculates the combined background as follows:
N = a + bC
Where:
N = Combined cosmic and aircraft background in each spectral window
a = Aircraft background in the window
b = Cosmic stripping factor for the window
C = Filtered cosmic channel count
C OMPARING D EFAULT C OSMIC AND A IRCRAFT B ACKGROUND P ARAMETERS
You may compare your cosmic and aircraft background values with the ones below
which are for spectrometers utilizing the standard energy windows. These values are
for a system with five 4.2 litre NaI crystals detectors (four down and one upward).
Channel Aircraft Background a Cosmic Stripping Factor b

[counts per second] [counts per Cosmic count]
TC 45 0.6
K 6 0.032
U 1.1 0.026
TH 0.75 0.030
UPU 0.30 0.0080
If your data were acquired with more than one package, multiply the typical values
accordingly. For instance, the defaults in the GX correspond to a system with two
standard detector packages (33.6 litres of NaI down and 8.4 litres upward). Aircraft
contributions to background can vary considerably between different aircraft.
The cosmic factors are relatively independent of the number of detector packages but
can vary somewhat for different installations.
Removing Radon Background Radiation
The most difficult background radiation component to remove occurs from the decay
of radon gas in the atmosphere. The daughter products of radon decay produce a
spectrum virtually identical to that of the uranium decay being measured. Radon gas
in air diffuses at rates dependent on factors such as air pressure, soil moisture, ground
cover, wind speed and patterns, and temperature. All of these factors vary with time
over the course of a survey.
As discussed in the Gamma Ray Spectrometer Surveying report published by IAEA,

there are four methods available for radon background estimation:
Flying at survey altitude over water
Using upward-looking detector crystals
Flying a survey altitude test line
Bi-214 peak at 609 keV (used in southern hemisphere where there is less fallout
contamination. It replaces the upward crystal method although it is implemented
in the same way).
The default 256-Channel Radiometrics Processing method is the upward-looking
crystal method. You can also select a table-based or interactive overwater methods.
The test line method is not supported because it is rarely performed in practice. The
Bi-214 method is not currently supported.
R EMOVING R ADON B ACKGROUND USING U PWARD L OOKING D ATA
If the survey system measures data from upward-looking uranium crystals, these data
can be used to perform radon background corrections. The corrections are functions
of measured count rates (corrected for cosmic and aircraft backgrounds) and factors
as referred to in section 4 of the IAEA report.
When you apply the Upward method in 256-Channel Radiometrics Processing, the
system first prompts you to enter "skyshine" coefficients (A1 and A2) and atmospheric
radon calibration constants (aTC, aK, aUp, aTh, bTC, bK, bUp and bTh) as follows:
A1 and A2 = Skyshine coefficient or calibration factors. These factors are
determined from the equation ug = A1UG + A2Tg Where: ug, Ug and Tg
are the contributions in the windows that originate from the ground. Ug,
Ug and Tg must be calculated independently by the user as described in
IAEA Technical Report 323, and then A1 and A2 can be determined
using a least squares method.
a TC= Radio of downward TC and U windows
a K = Radio of downward K and U windows
aTh = Radio of downward Th and U windows
aUp = Radio of upward U and downward U windows
bTC = TC intercept for U = zero (0)
bK = K intercept for U = zero (0)
bTh= K intercept for U = zero (0)
bUp = Upward U intercept for U = zero (0)
The a and b values are supplied by the survey contractor and are determined using
the method described in IAEA Technical Report 323. If the cosmic/aircraft
background constants have been well determined, the radon b values should be quite
small and in most cases, set to zero. This is the default for montaj 256-Channel
Radiometrics Processing. You can change them as required.
When the RPSLEVL GX runs, it evaluates the following expression to determine the
radon component:
Ur = (uUp - A1U -A2Th +A2bTh -bUp) / (aUp - A1 -A2aTh)
Where:
Ur = Uranium radon component
uUp = Upward-looking Uranium count (aircraft/cosmic background removed)
U = Uranium count (aircraft and cosmic aircraft background removed)
Th = Thorium count (aircraft and cosmic background removed)
When you use the upward method, the system prompts you to enter the channel name
for your raw upward uranium data and specify filtering parameters for interim
channels used to calculate the radon component. The purpose of the lowpass filters is
effectively to determine a regional radon component so that we recommend that you
heavily filter these channels (> 100 seconds).
After evaluating the radon component, the system evaluates the following expressions
(that describe the radon component in each window) and subtracts the corresponding
value from each of the Total Count, Potassium, Uranium and Thorium windows:
ur = aUpUr + bUp = Upward-looking Uranium radon component
Kr= aKUr + bK = Potassium radon component
THr= aThUr + bTh= Thorium radon component
TCr= aTCUr + bTC = Total Count radon component
R EMOVING R ADON B ACKGROUND USING THE B ACKGROUND T ABLE M ETHOD
Survey flights over water yield no response from the ground, meaning that the
uncorrected data represents the combined background due to aircraft, cosmic and
radon sources. montaj 256-Channel Radiometrics Processing takes advantage of
this relationship to provide you with two methods for removing radon background.
The first method, called the Background Table method enables you to use a table of
radiometric values corresponding to locations at which the detector is over water. The
second method, called the Overwater method, enables you to create a reference
channel containing one (1) values at locations at which the detector is overwater.
With this method, the system automatically selects the corresponding radiometric
values and performs the radon correction.
Since you do not have to create a table, the Overwater method is recommended.
However, we provide the Background Table method because it is useful when you
have to "invent" or adjust backgrounds.
The Background Table method assumes that your survey has data flown over lakes
and rivers and that the data was acquired at survey altitude (altitude must be
monitored since radon is inversely proportional to height).
The type of table and selection of reference points or segments of line data you
include depend on the survey procedures followed in the field, the equipment used,
the availability of over water measurements, the fiducial or time channels recorded,
and other factors.
The following example shows a sample background removal table called

rpsbackg.tbl. This table is shipped with the 256-Channel Radiometrics
Processing.
/ ATMOSPHERIC RADON CORRECTION TABLE FOR BACKGROUND TABLE METHOD
/
/
/= FID:REAL:I
/= URADREF:REAL
/= KRADREF:REAL
/= THRADREF:REAL
/= TCRADREF:REAL
/
/ FID URADREF KRADREF THRADREF TCRADREF
28825 157.3 10.0 12.7 1.3
29382 157.3 10.0 12.7 1.3
32117 118.4 8.3 10.2 1.2
37913 75.8 5.5 6.4 0.8
39464 79.9 5.1 6.9 0.7
40207 79.9 5.1 6.9 0.7
/
/ FIRST AND LAST VALUES ARE REPEATED AT BEGINNING AND END OF SURVEY
FLIGHT / TO EXTRAPOLATE RADON BACKGROUNDS TO THESE POINTS.
R EMOVING A IRCRAFT , C OSMIC AND R ADON B ACKGROUND I NTERACTIVELY
montaj 256-Channel Radiometrics Processing also provides a specialized,

interactive method for removing the combined background from aircraft, cosmic and
radon sources.
The basic approach is to interactively mark all fiducial, date or time points where you
know the system is over water (i.e. where the contribution from ground sources is
minimal) in a reference channel. When you run the RPSLEVL GX, the system uses
this reference channel to create interim reference channels (called KRADREF,
THRADREF, URADREF and UPURADREF) consisting of interpolated background
values. The system then subtracts the interpolated values from each of the input
radiometric channels.
This method only works on individual lines. Since it is time consuming to

interactively select and process line data, we suggest that you work with flight data (a
single, long line of data). You can then run all GXs (as well as the Overwater
method) on the flight data and reformat data in lines later.
An effective way to display your results is by creating a custom data view consisting
of the UFILT, RADREF, URADREF and ULEVL channels. Reference channel
points are displayed as symbols and all other channels are displayed as lines. To
create a channel with symbols, select Profile|Show symbols option in Oasis montaj.
We recommend displaying your data in this format routinely to assist in quickly

evaluating the success of the interpolation process and background removal.
When you use this method, you also have the option of applying a broad filter to the
interpolated KRADREF, THRADREF, TCRADREF and URADREF channels. The
objective of filtering is to improve the statistics for these channels.
E VALUATING A IRCRAFT , C OSMIC OR R ADON B ACKGROUND I NDIVIDUALLY
As part of the quality control process, Earth Science professionals may want to
evaluate the resulting data from one type of correction, such as aircraft or radon
corrections, only. Effectively, this means that the user must have the ability to switch
certain corrections on or off as required.
To switch off aircraft and background corrections in 256-Channel Radiometrics

Processing, simply set the corresponding background and stripping values to zero (0)
and run the radon removal process. The resulting data in the KLEVL, THLEVL,
TCLEVL and ULEVL channels will have radon corrections only.
To switch off radon corrections, set your aircraft background and/or cosmic stripping
values as required. Then select the Background Table radon removal method and
enter (rpszero.tbl). This table contains all zero values. When the GX runs, it only
performs the selected aircraft and/or cosmic removal and stores the results in the
TCLEVL, KLEVL, ULEVL and THLEVL channels.
Stripping Spectral Overlap from Data
Spectral stripping is a prerequisite in airborne spectrometry data processing to give

the counts in the potassium, uranium and thorium windows that are uniquely from
potassium, uranium and thorium. The spectral ratio refers to the counts in one
window to the counts in another window for pure sources of U, K, and TH. The
notation adopted for these ratios is:
= U/TH (pure source);
= K/TH (pure source);
= K/U (pure source);
a = TH/U (pure source);
b = TH/K (pure source);
g = U/K (pure source);
Stripping ratios are determined experimentally by a procedure over calibration pads.

The values of , , and increase with altitude above the ground - a correction is
applied to these ratios based on the STP equivalent altitude according to the
following theoretically and experimentally determined factors:
Stripping Ratio Increase per Metre
0.00049
0.00065
0.00069
The RPSCORR GX calculates the , , and stripping ratios at STP equivalent

height for each record and uses these in the stripping calculations. After you enter
stripping ratios and run the GX, the system performs the following calculations:
e= + 0.00049 * he
e= + 0.00065 * he
e= + 0.00069 * he where
he = equivalent height AGL (above ground level) at STP.
The GX then applies stripping corrections to preprocessed and background-removed

data (i.e. LEVL channels) as follows:
nK,K = [n TH (e e - e) + n U (ae - e) + n K (1 - ae)] / A
nU, U = n TH (ge -e) + n U (1 - be) + n K (be - g)] / A
nTH, TH = n TH (1 - ge) + n U (be -a) + n K (ag - b)] / A
A =1- ge - a (e - ge) - b (e - e e) where

nK = background corrected counts in K
nU = background corrected counts in U
nTH = background corrected counts in TH
nK,K = stripping corrected counts in K
nU,U = stripping corrected counts in U
nTH,TH = stripping corrected counts in TH
Removing the Effects of Attenuation
After preprocessing, removing backgrounds and stripping, the RPSCORR GX

removes the attenuation effects of the air due to the height of the sensor above the
ground. It applies the following correction to each of the TC, K, U and Th channels
(data in LEVL channels):
Ns = Nm exp [(h0 - he)] where
Ns = the count rate normalized to the nominal survey altitude ho
Nm = the background corrected, stripped count rate at STP equivalent height
he
= the attenuation coefficient for the window
Before running the GX, you must supply the attenuation coefficients for each
channel. Your contractor typically flies a trial survey at different heights over a
calibration range and supplies you with these values. This procedure is described in
the IAEA Technical Report 323. If you do not have values readily available or want
to test the processing system, you can run the GX with the following typical values:
Window Height Attenuation Coefficient (per metre at STP)
Total Count -0.0070
K -0.0088
U -0.0082
TH -0.0070
Converting Count Rates to Apparent Radioelement Concentrations
The final correction the RPSCORR GX applies is to convert count rates to apparent
radioelement concentrations. The term, apparent concentrations, refers to the
concentration in the ground of the elements potassium (K), uranium (U), and thorium
(TH). This term also refers to the apparent Total Count at ground level, which is also
calculated by the system.
These estimations are useful because they yield results that are independent of survey
variables such as crystal volume and survey height. Having this data may enable you
to join adjacent survey data (using concentration data).
In the RPSCORR GX, the system calculates the K, U, and TH apparent

concentrations as follows:
C = Ns/S
Where:
C = the apparent concentration of the element (K percentage, eU ppm, eTH
ppm)
Ns = the count rate for each window (from the attenuation section)
S = the broad source sensitivity for the window (see IAEA for determination)
If you do not have sensitivities or want to test the system, you can use the following
values:
Window Sensitivities
TC 23 [(c/sec) / (ng/h)]
K 75 [(c/sec) / %K]
U 7.5 [(c/sec) / eppm ]
TH 4.5 [(c/sec) / eppm ]
Complete Expressions for Apparent Radioelement Concentrations
To assist you in determining how the system calculates final concentrations, we have
included complete expressions for Potassium and Total Count channels.
The complete expression (stripped, height corrected result) for the apparent
Potassium concentration is:
CK = [n TH (e e - e) + n U (ae - e) + n K (1 - ae)] / A * exp [(h0 - he)] / SK
In this expression, the nK , nU and nTH values are the background-corrected data
(KLEVL, ULEVL and THLEVL) created when you ran the Background GX.
The complete expression (height-corrected result) for the apparent Total Count
concentration is:
CTC = nTC * exp [(h0 - he)] / STC
Similarly, the nTC value is the background-corrected result (TCLEVL) created when
you ran the Background GX.
Calculating the Ground Level Exposure Rate
If you are performing a spectrometer survey for environmental or human health

purposes, you may be interested in the ground level exposure rate. montaj 256-
Channel Radiometrics Processing calculates this value as a function of the K, U,
and TH apparent concentrations:
E =1.505K + 0.653eU + 0.287eTH
Where:
E = ground level exposure rate [R/h]
The system stores the result in a separate channel ( TCEXP). This calculation only
includes the gamma ray exposure from radioactive sources in the ground.
Calculating U/TH, U/K and TH/K Ratios
In calculating ratios, there are two main challenges to consider, namely:

How do you process data to avoid zero values in the ratio denominator?
How do you extract meaningful ratios from areas that have low count rates?
montaj 256-Channel Radiometrics Processing has two options for dealing with the
question of the zero denominator. The first is to insert placeholder (dummy) values
that tell the system not to process certain data. The second option is to set values
below a certain threshold to a specified minimum concentration. The advantage of
using the DUMMY method is that 256-Channel Radiometrics Processing handles
placeholders elegantly simply interpolating based on the adjacent values.
montaj 256-Channel Radiometrics Processing deals with the question of low count
rate data through a filtering process. Since regions that have low count rate have
higher errors, lowpass filtering is implemented to smooth the data. This is a simple
technique based on the concept that smoother input data produces smoother output.
Another way of dealing with the regions that have low count rates is to apply a
variable width filter. Variable width filters compare the data at a single point with a
statistical benchmark value. If the data falls below this value, the filter adds adjacent
data and compares this summed value. This process continues until the counting
statistics meet the benchmark value. The result is that areas with low count rates and
high count rates have a predefined statistical confidence level.
Although 256-Channel Radiometrics Processing does not currently implement a

variable width filter, it is possible for you to intercept (export) the data before you run
the RPSRATIO GX, apply a variable width filter and import it back into Oasis
montaj for final ratioing.
If you are interested in this approach, we suggest that you first copy the corrected K,
U and TH data in the KCORR, UCORR and THCORR channels to backup channels
in Oasis montaj. Then export this data, apply the filter and import it back into Oasis
montaj into the KCORR, UCORR and THCORR channels. You can now run the
RPSRATIO GX.
Chapter 2: Importing 256 Radiometric Data 21
Chapter 2: Importing 256 Radiometric Data

To process 256-channel radiometric data, you must import the data into an array
channel of an Oasis montaj database. An array channel stores multiple values (or
measurements) for a single location as a profile line in a single cell of the database.
This is different from a regular channel that contains a single number value in a cell.
The array channel format is used for 256-channel data because of the normally large
volume of data. Since data volumes are large, we recommend creating a template file
that describes the data format. Once a template is created, it can be reused for
importing data in the future.
The following table describes various strategies available for importing and working
with 256-channel data depending on the data source. Note that 256 channel data
must be stored in a channel of Array type. The import templates each support the
creation of Array channels in an Oasis montaj database.
Data Source Import description
Picodas PDAS 256-channel Picodas PDAS can be imported using the SCANPICO and PICODAS GXs. To
data file access these GXs, on the Data menu, click Import, then click PDAS, then click scan data
The SCANPICO GX will scan an existing PDAS file and create a template to import all data
contained in the file. Normally, this template should be edited to remove any data components
that are not required for your application. Refer to the on-line help for these GXs for more
information on working with PDAS files.
RMS data file An RMS acquisition system will store 256-channel radiometric data in a blocked binary format
which should be documented by the survey company that has collected the data. The
IMPORTBB GX can be used to import such data. To access this GX, on the Data menu, click
Import, then click RMS or Blocked Binary. This GX requires a template that accurately
describes the contents of the RMS file. Refer to the on-line documentation of the IMPORTBB
for information on how to create a template.
Binary survey The data may be stored in an existing documented binary data file. The IMPORTBB GX can
file be used to import such data. To access this GX, on the Data menu, click Import, then click
Blocked Binary. This GX requires a template that accurately describes the contents of the
Blocked Binary file. Refer to the on-line documentation of the IMPORTBB for information on
how to create a template.
ASCII flat If the data is stored in ASCII flat archive format, use the IMPARC GX to import the data. To
archive access this GX, on the Data menu, click Import, then click Flat archive. A Flat archive file
contains the data organized in rows and columns. The IMPARC GX supports importing of
both fixed-data and free-formatted (comma or space delimited) data. IMPARC requires a
template to describe the data to be imported. Refer to the on-line documentation of the
IMPARC GX for information on how to create an ASCII file template for your data.
Third party If the data is contained in a third-party software system, you must export the data to one of the
system formats above to be imported into Oasis montaj. If your processing operations will require
importing such data on a regular basis, Geosoft Technical Solutions can develop an automated
import procedure for your data. Contact your local Geosoft office for more information on this
service.
Note: If you are having difficulty please contact your local Technical Support office.
Chapter 3: Tutorial
This tutorial will show you how to extract information from 256 channel data and
create the following channels: K, U, Th, TC, and Cosmic. Please note that this
tutorial includes optional procedures that may be useful in the future, but are not
necessary to complete the tutorial. These optional procedures are included in the
tutorial for information, and to show you when you would perform these tasks if your
data required them.
Before you begin
This tutorial uses sample data provided on the Oasis montaj v 6 CD-ROM. This data
can be found in your C:\Program Files\Geosoft\Oasis montaj\data\rps directory
or downloaded from the Geosoft web site (www.geosoft.com/downloads/). The data
used in this tutorial is provided in a Geosoft database file (256_spec.gdb) and two
table files (rpsbackg.tbl and rpszero.tbl). You do not have to import any data for
this tutorial.
Create a working directory for this tutorial on your computer called D:\Tutorial.
Copy the data files into this working directory.
Create a Project
In order to access the Radiometric Processing System menus in Oasis montaj, you
must have an open Project. An Oasis montaj "Project" encompasses every item in
your working project; from the data files in your project (databases, maps, and grids),
to the tools used (including auxiliary tools such as histograms, scatter plots etc.), to
the project setup including the menus you have displayed and whether you are
working on a map or profile and the state in which you left it the last time you used it.
The project also controls your working directory. Projects are saved as (*.gpf) files. If
you open an existing project from a directory, the system assumes that all your
project files are located in the same directory. To streamline your work, as well as
keep it organized, you may wish to make sure that your project file is in the same
directory as the other files you want to use. We recommend that each project you
work on have its own project (*.gpf) file. If you use a number of applications or add-
on tools in Oasis montaj that have different menus, you can use the project to display
only the menus you require.
The Project Explorer tool enables you to browse as well as open any project item.
The Project Explorer has two tab windows, the Data window that includes all data
files included in the project and the Tools window that organizes and maintains the
project tools. To access the Tools window click the Tools bar on the bottom of the
Project Explorer. To return to the Data window, click the Data bar on the top the
Project Explorer.
24 Chapter 3: Tutorial
Important Note: Workspace files (*.gws) used in Oasis montaj prior to version
6.0 can be easily converted to Project files (*.gpf) simply by
opening them in Oasis montaj 6.0. On the Open Project dialog
(File|Project|Open) select File of Type as "Workspaces (*.gws)"
and when asked if you want to convert the old workspace into a
new Oasis montaj project file, select "Yes". The workspace file
will be converted to a project file and all associated workspace
information will be transferred to the new project file. In addition,
the workspace file will remain untouched so that it can be opened
in previous versions.
T O C REATE A P ROJECT :
1. Start Oasis montaj.

2. On the File menu click Project and then click New. The New Project dialog is
displayed.
3. Specify a name and directory for the project. For example, name the project rps
and specify the working directory as D:\Tutorial. Oasis montaj will
automatically look for your data in the directory containing this project. Make
sure you copy the sample database file (256_spec.gdb) and the two table (*.tbl)
files to your project directory (D:\Tutorial).
4. Click the [Save] button. The system saves the project and indicates it is open by
opening the Project Explorer window, enabling the buttons on the Main toolbar
and adding menus to the menu bar. These are visual clues indicating that you are
ready to start working with the system.
Load the RPS menu

To begin working with the RPS system you must load the RPS menu
(Radiometric_Processing_System.omn)
1. On the GX menu, click Load menu. The Load Menu dialog is displayed.
2. Select the Radiometric_Processing_System.omn file, and click [Open]. The

RPS menu is displayed on the main menu bar.
Open a Database
You must have a database open in your working directory to apply the RPS system to
your data.
1. On the Data menu, click Open Database. The Open Database dialog is displayed.
2. Select the 256_spec.gdb file and click [Open].
3. The 256_spec.gdb database will be displayed in the spreadsheet window.

Tip: When you open the database, you will notice that the profiles in the array
channels are very small. You can make these lines easier to see by
increasing the spreadsheet font size. To do this, click the Edit menu, and
then click Font. Choose a fixed width font such as Courier New with a
large point size (i.e. 20pt).
Step 1: Windowing Full Spectrum Data

To process full spectrum (256-channel) radiometric data, you will need to extract
Region Of Interest (ROI) windows for Total Count (TC), Potassium (K), Thorium
(Th), Uranium (U), and Cosmic radiation from spectral radiometric data stored in an
array channel.
Each spectral channel corresponds, in this case, to the number of gamma rays
detected with energy levels falling within a pre-determined range. Historically,
radiometric processing has been carried out on predefined regions of interest (ROIs),
namely potassium (K), uranium (U), thorium (Th) and total count (TC), each of
which span a number of spectral windows. The lower and upper limits of an ROI are
defined in terms of the spectral channels. The first channel is 0 and, in the case of a
256 channel spectrometer, 255 is the last.
When extracting single spectral channels, such as COSMIC, which is usually located
in the last spectral channel (255), LOWER would be defined as 255.0 and UPPER as
256.0.
You should consult your spectrometer specifications to determine the optimum

windows for your spectrometer. The default window limits noted above are typical
for a Picodas spectrometer.
The procedures below assume that you have already imported your spectrum data
into a database.
TO WINDOW 256 C HANNEL D ATA:
1. On the RPS menu, click 256 channel, and then click Window All Channels.
2. The Window spectral radiometric data dialog box is displayed. Select TC as the
spectral data channel. This is the array channel that contains the raw 256 channel
data.
3. Specify the window range for each of the elements (K, U, Th), the Cosmic ray
channel and the Total Count channel. The data ranges shown above are for the
Picodas spectrometer, the ranges will vary with different instruments. For more
information specifying window ranges, click the [Help] button on the dialog box.
4. Click the [OK] button. New channels are created showing the sum for each
region of interest. The created channels are: K_raw, U_raw, Th_raw, TC_raw,
Cosmic_raw.
Windowing a Single Channel
To window the Upward Uranium channel (Up_U_raw), follow the procedure below
to extract the sum of values from a window of the Upward Total Count (U_TC) array
channel to a new channel.
T O W INDOW A S INGLE C HANNEL :
1. On the RPS menu, click 256 channel, and then click Window a Single Channel.
2. The Fraction window of an array channel dialog box is displayed. Select U_TC
in the Array channel to window box. This is the array channel that contains the
raw 256 channel data.
3. Specify the output channel to use (Up_U_raw). This channel contains the simple
sum of values in the array window. If any array values are dummy (i.e. missing
as indicated by an asterisk), the result will be dummy.
4. For more information click the [Help] button.
Subset Window (Optional)
If you want, you can create an array channel that is a subset of another array channel.
This is useful if you want to view a specific range of the spectrum, such as the range
of a particular element.
Note: When you display an array channel with a smaller spectrum (range of
values), the profile line in the spreadsheet cell is larger and easier to see.
1. On the RPS menu, click 256 channel, and then click Subset window. The Create a
subset array channel is displayed.
2. In the Input array channel box, specify the array channel (TC) containing the full
spectrum survey data.
3. In the Output subset array channel box, specify the new array channel (i.e.
TC_crop) you want to create to contain the subset array.
4. In the subset Start element(>=0) box, specify the value you want the subset array
to begin at (60).
5. In the subset End element box, specify the value you want the subset array to end
at (125).
6. Click the [OK] button to create the new array channel containing the subset.
Step 2: Configuring RPS Data

This step is a bookkeeping step to define the channel names you want to use for
each type of compound and reading. Defining all the channel names will help you to
keep your data organised during processing. If you want to see more information
during this procedure, click the [Help] button on any the dialog boxes.
T O D EFINE R AW D ATA C HANNELS (RPSCNFIG GX):
1. On the RPS menu, click Configure. The Define Raw Data Channels dialog is
displayed.
2. Specify the names of the channels for the radiometric counts and the altimeter
settings as shown below:
3. Click the [OK] button to continue. In the Define Output Data Channels dialog
box, specify the names of the channels for the corrected data, ratios and other
information as shown below:
4. Click the [OK] button to finish.
Step 3: Preparing Data

You can use the Preparation menu item to perform one or more specific tasks
including:
Correcting the radiometric window data for spectrometer deadtime
Applying nonlinear and lowpass filters
Converting radar altimeter data to Standard Temperature and Pressure (STP).
This section describes how 256-Channel Radiometrics Processing helps you to
remove deadtime effects, filter data and correct radar altimeter data. It also tells you
how to run the Preparation GX.
T O P ERFORM D EADTIME C ORRECTIONS AND A PPLY F ILTERS (RPSFILT GX):
1. On the RPS menu, click Preparation. The Define Deadtime OR Livetime

Parameters dialog is displayed.
2. Select a method for applying deadtime corrections (Deadtime or Livetime).

If you have a single deadtime value for the entire survey, select the Deadtime
method and type the value in microseconds per pulse. The deadtime value is
preset to 0 meaning that the correction is not applied. If you want to see the
effect of deadtime corrections on the dataset, try entering another value (in
microseconds).
If you have a livetime channel, select the Livetime method and type the
corresponding channel name. Make sure the units for your livetime channel
are in milliseconds and set the instrument deadtime to zero (0) in the dialog
box.
3. When you have selected a method, click [OK]. The Define Optional Lowpass
Filter Values dialog box is displayed:
4. If you want to apply nonlinear or lowpass filters, specify filtering parameters or

accept the defaults. To turn off one or more nonlinear filters, set the filter width to
zero (0). To turn off one or more lowpass filters, set the wavelength cutoff to zero
(0).
5. When you are finished setting filter parameters or turning off filters, click the
[OK] button. The GX runs and stores corrected filtered data in corresponding
filtering channels in your database.
C HECKING P REPROCESSED R ESULTS
After you apply filters, we recommend that you view the data to ensure your process
is working and that your parameters are correct (i.e. provide sufficient filtering). If
you are not satisfied with the results, simply reset your parameters and run the GX
again.
Answers to Some Common Preparation Questions
If youre not sure how to set up this GX, look below to find answers to some more
common questions:
Q: What should I do if I do not have a DEADTIME channel or contractor-supplied
deadtime value?
A: If you know the model of spectrometer used, the manufacturer or another user
should be able to provide an estimated deadtime per pulse value. Many
spectrometers used in radiometric surveying have a deadtime per pulse in the
order of 10 to 12 microseconds. If you cannot find specific information for your
system, use this value.
Q: What are typical filter parameters for radioelement channels?
A: Typical values for filtering U, K, TH, and TC are NL Width = 2 data points, NL
Tolerance = 5 counts per second and Short Wavelength Cutoff = 7 fiducials. Of
course, the values chosen depend on the data sampling rate, aircraft speed, and
data noise levels. If the parameters chosen do not have the desired effect, change
them and try again.
Q: How do I turn filters off if I do not want to use them?
A: To turn off nonlinear filters, specify zero (0) for the filter width. To turn off
lowpass filters, specify zero (0) as the low cutoff frequency.
Q: What do I do if I don't have temperature data?
A: You can estimate the temperature based on location and season. Another solution
is to contact the flight services section of the airport nearest the survey area. They
should be able to provide historical temperature data at the airport. You can then
extrapolate this to the survey area using a standard temperature lapse rate and the
mean altitude of your survey area.
Q: What other filtering techniques are used for radiometric window data?
A: The Geological Survey of Canada uses a 5-point Savitsky-Golay filter to improve
profile presentation. There is also a special recursive filter specifically for
radiometric profile data.
Step 4: Removing Background Radiation

After you prepare your data, the next step in the process is to remove Aircraft and
Cosmic background radiation, and atmospheric radon background radiation.
The Radiometric Processing System first corrects data for cosmic and aircraft
background radiation. It then corrects data for atmospheric radon background
radiation using one of several methods (Upward-looking crystals, Overwater, or
Background table methods).
This section describes how to perform both Aircraft/Cosmic and Radon Background
Removal. It also details how you can use the system to turn each removal process on
and off. This capability can be useful if you want to evaluate aircraft, cosmic or radon
components individually before applying all corrections.
T O R EMOVE B ACKGROUND FROM R ADIOMETRIC D ATA (R PSLEVL GX)
To level your database, you must complete multiple dialog boxes. The first of these is
for aircraft background and stripping corrections and the second is for selecting a
radon levelling method. Depending on the method you select, the system displays
either two more or one more dialog boxes.
1. On the RPS menu, click Background. The Specify Aircraft Background & Cosmic
Stripping Values dialog is displayed.
2. Specify the aircraft background and stripping values. These values are normally
supplied by your survey contractor. You can either enter new values or accept the
defaults as displayed. Click [OK].
3. The Select Radon Background Levelling Method dialog box is displayed. Select a
radon background method from the dropdown list (Upward).
4. Click the [OK] button to continue. The following section (A) describes the steps
involved in the Upward method.
Note: The procedures for the Background Table and Over Water methods are
provided in sections (B) and (C).
A) Upward Method
1. The Define Up Uranium Deadtime OR Livetime Parameters dialog box is

displayed.
2. Select a method from the dropdown list (Deadtime) and specify the instrument
deadtime (12).
3. Click the [OK] button. The Specify Values for Upward Crystal Radon Levelling
dialog box is displayed.
4. Specify the "skyshine" coefficients (A1 and A2) and the atmospheric radon
calibration constants. Descriptions of these coefficients are in Chapter 1,
Removing Radon Background using Upward Looking Data topic.
5. For the purpose of this tutorial we will accept the default values. The default
values correspond to a system with two standard detector packages (33.6 litres of
NaI down and 8.4 litres upward.
6. Click the [OK] button, the Define Channels & Filters for Upward Crystal Radon
Levelling dialog box is displayed.
7. This dialog box is used to confirm the raw upward uranium data channel
(Up_U_raw) and to specify filtering parameters for interim upward uranium,
uranium and thorium channels.
8. You can also change the names of the interim processing channels, such as
UPUTEMP, although this is not necessary.
9. You can apply filters to any of the upward uranium, uranium and thorium
channels. Since the upward uranium channel typically has a very low count rate,
we suggest that you apply a heavy smoothing filter (for instance, 200 fiducials) to
suppress statistical noise.
10. Click the [OK] button. The system removes the background and stores the data in
corresponding background removal channels URADREF, KRADREF,
THRADREF and TCRADREF. You can display these data as profiles to see if
reasonable (expected) backgrounds have been calculated.
B) Background Table Method
Complete steps 1 4 of the To Remove Background from Radiometric Data

procedure before continuing with the following steps in the Background Table
method.
1. If you select Backgnd_Table from the Select Radon Background Levelling
Method dialog box, the Table Method Minimum 2 points per flight dialog is
displayed.
2. Select the reference channel for background removal (FID) and select the name
of the background file (rpsbackg.tbl). For more information about values in the
table, refer to Chapter 1, Removing Radon Background using the Background
Table Method.
3. Click the [OK] button. The system removes the background and stores the data in
corresponding background removal channels in your database. The radon
backgrounds are stored in channels URADREF, KRADREF, THRADREF and
TCRADREF. You can display these data as profiles to see if reasonable
(expected) backgrounds have been calculated.
C) Overwater method
Complete steps 1 4 of the To Remove Background from Radiometric Data

procedure before continuing with the following steps in the Overwater method.
1. If you select Overwater from the Select Radon Background Leveling Method
dialog box, the Overwater Method dialog box is displayed.
2. You must define an Overwater Reference Channel in Oasis montaj, and

interactively view your database and mark fiducial, time or distance reference
points where you know the system is over water (i.e. select the centre of each
over water segment). Marking reference points consists of inserting a one (1)
value in the reference channel for the fiducials that are over water. If you have not
done this yet, click the [Cancel] button to exit the current dialog box.
3. To create a radon reference channel, click the left mouse button on the header cell
of an empty column in the spreadsheet. Type the name of the reference channel
(overwater_ref) and press the enter key. Click [OK] on the Create Channel
dialog box.
4. Scroll down the reference channel and type the number 1 in for the fiducials that
are over water.
5. On the RPS menu, click Background. Specify the aircraft background and
stripping values. Click [OK]. Select the Overwater method and click [OK].
6. You will see a dialog box for specifying a reference channel and a lowpass filter
width for the resulting interpolated channels.
7. Select the overwater reference channel (overwater_ref).
8. Choose the filter width (75) to reflect the average length of the overwater
segments but not so long as to contaminate the shorter segments with adjacent
ground-source data.
9. Click [OK]. The system interpolates background values between all fiducials
marked by one (1) values and removes the aircraft, cosmic and radon background
from the potassium, thorium, total count and uranium channels.
10. The radon backgrounds are stored in channels URADREF, KRADREF,
THRADREF and TCRADREF. You can display these data as profiles to see if
reasonable (expected) backgrounds have been calculated.
Answers to Common Background Removal Questions
If youre not sure how to set up this GX, look here to find answers to some more
common questions:
Q. I have upward looking data, but I want to use the Overwater method for radon
background removal. Which method is better?
A. If you have many good overwater backgrounds, you can use the overwater
method.
Q: What if I don't have a cosmic window channel or aircraft background values?
A: It may be possible to deal with these deficiencies if you have frequent background
overwater (BOW) sections within your survey data. The aircraft background can
be included in the "radon" background measured over water. These two
backgrounds are then combined and dealt with together as "radon". Use a zero
value for the aircraft background prior to evaluating the BOW data with the
RPSZERO table.
The lack of cosmic data is more problematic, but if your survey area doesn't have
a significant altitude range (say about 1000 feet or so), then you can also add the
cosmic background in with the radon by setting the cosmic coefficients to zero as
well. The BOW data will then contain radon and aircraft background plus a
varying cosmic value. Use the Background Table method to apply these values
(i.e. run the RPSLEVL GX again). The error due to varying cosmic (1000 foot
altitude range) will be less than approximately +/- 0.5 c/sec for K, U and Th and
approximately +/- 6 c/sec for TC (these estimates use a 33.6 litre detector system
with two standard packages).
Q: What length of lowpass filter should be used for the atmospheric radon (Ur)
derived from the upward-looking technique?
A: The best filter length must be determined by trial and error since it depends on a
number of factors. These include the volume of the upward-looking crystal,
shielding geometry, atmospheric radon concentration and variability, objectives
of the survey, type of terrain, etc.
Try using 100, 200 and 300 second filters and evaluate the resulting uranium
image (after completing the processing each time). A longer filter improves the
statistical reliability and tends to reduce level busts that can occur if shorter term
variations in the atmospheric radon are smeared out.
Step 5: Correcting Airborne Spectrometer Data

The Corrections dialog (RPSCORR GX) performs three processing functions
spectral stripping, removing the effects of height attenuation and calculating
radioelement concentrations.
T O C ORRECT R ADIOMETRIC D ATA (R PSCORR GX):
1. On the RPS menu, select Corrections. The Specify Correction Parameters 1

dialog is displayed.
2. You can specify new values for the stripping ratio values; however for the
purpose of this tutorial we will accept the default values.
Note: The Stripping Ratio values you enter for the correction are measured at
ground level. The GX then calculates Alpha, Beta and Gamma stripping
ratios based on the STP equivalent height. The GX then applies stripping
corrections to preprocess and background removed data.
3. Click the [OK] button; the Specify Correction Parameters 2 dialog box is
displayed.
4. In this dialog box, you can specify new values for height attenuation coefficients
and sensitivities, or accept the defaults, and click [OK].
5. The Correction dialog runs and stores corrected data in the corresponding CORR
channels in your database. It also stores data in a ground level exposure rate
channel.
Answers to Some Common Questions about Corrections
common questions:
Q. What should I do if the system sensitivities for the survey system are not
available?
A. Use the typical sensitivities included in the table.
Q. What should I do if the height attention values for the survey system are not
available?
A. Use zero, and note this on the image products and in the report.
Q. When entering the stripping ratios, what height should be entered, the nominal
flight level or ground level?
A. The stripping ratio values are calculated at ground level.
Step 6: Calculating U/TH, U/K and TH/K Ratios

montaj 256-Channel Radiometrics Processing uses the apparent concentration data
created using the Corrections option to calculate standard U/TH, U/K, and TH/K that
are often used for final map presentation and for detecting subtle geologically
significant features in the data.
T O C ALCULATE C ONCENTRATION R ATIOS (R PSRATIO GX):
1. On the RPS menu, select Ratios. The Specify Radioelement Ratioing & Lowpass
Filtering Values dialog is displayed.
2. In the dialog box, specify new minimum concentration and filtering cutoff values,
or accept the defaults.
3. Using the Choose CLIP or DUMMY for minimum threshold method dropdown
menu, select a method (Dummy).
Note: If you select Clip, the system changes any values below your minimum
concentrations to the minimum concentration values. If you select Dummy,
the system replaces these values with placeholder (dummy) values.
4. When you are finished, click [OK]. The RPSRATIO GX runs and stores ratios in
the corresponding RAT channels in your database. It also stores data in a ground
level exposure rate channel.
Answers to Some Common Ratioing Questions
common questions:
Q. How do I determine what minimum concentration cutoff levels to choose?
A. To choose the minimum cutoffs, look at the concentration data (UCORR,
KCORR, THCORR) on lines flown over water (no ground source of radiation).
Ideally, over water the data would all be zero and you could choose zero as the
cutoff. However, if this is not so, choose cutoffs at the lowest reliable levels for
each concentration.
Q. How do I determine what filter cutoffs to choose?
A. First look at the concentration data for each channel. If they look smooth, no
filtering is required. If not, the filter applied is a lowpass filter. Choose a cutoff
to remove the noise visible in the profile view. If data were already filtered,
filtering may not be required.
Applying Batch Processing to Your Dataset

To perform batch processing in Oasis montaj, you must create a Geosoft Script
(*.gs) file and then run the script file.
The easiest way to create a Script file is to use the Script Recorder. Simply open your
database and click the Start Script Recording button ( ). Then complete all dialog
boxes and run all GXs you want to include. The system stores all parameters and GX
commands in a Geosoft Script (*.gs) file. When you are done recording, click the End
Script Recording button ( ). You can then edit this file and create a custom script
for your entire dataset.
Note:
For more information about applying batch processing, please refer to the Creating
Scripts in Oasis montaj technical note available in the Online Manuals, tutorials and
technical notes.
Glossary 43
Glossary
channels In the Oasis montaj spreadsheet, a channel is essentially a column that
contains a specific type of data.
column In the Oasis montaj spreadsheet, a vertical line of cells that contain data.
database See Oasis database
desktop Background area in the Oasis montaj project. You can open and display a
virtually unlimited number of Spreadsheet, Profile and Map windows in this
area.
Elevation Units The elevation units of the DEM grids (Metres or Feet).
fiducials Points accepted as fixed bases of reference. Marks indicating the order in
which each reading or sample reading was taken.
Graphical User Interface Interactive software environment where functions are performed by selecting
graphic objects.
grid Collection of points along rows and columns that define a two-dimensional
rectangular area on some plan, usually a ground plan.
Grids or Grid file Files containing location (X and Y) and data (Z) values. Values are typically
interpolated to create a regular and smoothly sampled representation of the
locations and data.
groups A set of graphics elements that make up a graphic component of the map. For
example, a line path plot, a contour plot or a profile plot would all be separate
graphics groups within the Data View.
GX or Geosoft Programmed process (identified by the *.GX file extension) used to process
eXecutable data in Oasis montaj.
Images or Image file Files containing location (X and Y) and color values. The values are not
interpolated. Standard PC file types created using imaging or electronic photo-
editing techniques.
line Linear array of observation points.
Main window Primary tool used to create and maintain databases, display data and process
data. Oasis montaj is a Graphical User Interface (GUI) system that provides
all functionality required to process and display virtually any type of Earth
Science data.
Map (*.MAP) Geosoft-developed file that integrates all graphics elements (lines, polygons
and text) and layers (base maps, data, grids, plots and images) constructed in
Oasis montaj.
44 Glossary
map description file File used when making a standard map that has a sheet size and margins inside
(*.MDF) which there is a map area with a specified origin and scale. Usually, MDF files
are created with the MAPSET GX. MDF files may also be created manually
by editing an ASCII file with extension .MDF.
menu (*.OMN) Graphical list of commands or functions that a user may choose from.
Oasis database Object-oriented database that stores Earth Science data in a form that delivers
fast access to data and efficient storage required for applications that deal with
very large volumes of data.
Oasis montaj Oasis montaj is the core software platform that provides all functionality
required to manage, manipulate, visualize and map spatially located Earth
Science data.
Project (*.GPF) Binary file that defines a desktop environment. It is essentially an electronic
briefcase that helps organise data and the activities related to a data
processing project.
random XYZ data Located XYZ data that cannot be grouped naturally into separate lines. For
example, regional gravity surveys or geochemical surveys are commonly
considered random data because the locations appear somewhat random in
nature.
row In the Oasis montaj spreadsheet, a horizontal line of cells that contain data.
template A file used to manage data in a particular format.
View Stored snapshot of the screen settings, current line, displayed channels and
displayed profiles in Oasis montaj.

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montaj 256-Channel

USER GUIDE and TUTORIAL

Manual release date: 2/2/2005.

Copyright Geosoft Inc. 2005. All rights reserved. No part of this

Program Copyright Geosoft Inc. 2005. All rights reserved.

Geosoft and Oasis montaj are registered trademarks of Geosoft Inc.

Windows, and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or

Web Site: www.geosoft.com

Geosoft License Agreement 1

Finding More Help Information 3

Contacting Technical Support 3

Chapter 1: System Overview 5

Acquiring Airborne Spectrometer Data 5

Working with 256-Channel Radiometrics Processing 6

Correcting Instrument Deadtime/Livetime Effects 6

Applying Nonlinear and Lowpass Filters 7

Correcting Radar Altimeter Data to Standard Temperature and Pressure 9

Removing Cosmic and Aircraft Background 10

Removing Radon Background Radiation 11

Stripping Spectral Overlap from Data 15

Removing the Effects of Attenuation 17

Converting Count Rates to Apparent Radioelement Concentrations 18

Complete Expressions for Apparent Radioelement Concentrations 18

Calculating the Ground Level Exposure Rate 19

Chapter 2: Importing 256 Radiometric Data 21

Before you begin 23

Load the RPS menu 24

Step 1: Windowing Full Spectrum Data 25

Windowing a Single Channel 26

Subset Window (Optional) 27

Step 2: Configuring RPS Data 28

Step 3: Preparing Data 29

Answers to Some Common Preparation Questions 30

Step 4: Removing Background Radiation 31

Answers to Common Background Removal Questions 37

Step 5: Correcting Airborne Spectrometer Data 38

Answers to Some Common Questions about Corrections 39

Step 6: Calculating U/TH, U/K and TH/K Ratios 39

Answers to Some Common Ratioing Questions 40

Applying Batch Processing to Your Dataset 41

Geosoft License Agreement

5. PROTECTION AND SECURITY OF LICENSED PROGRAM

7. EVENTS UPON TERMINATION:

11. YEAR 2000:

Finding More Help Information

Contacting Technical Support

North America Europe and North Africa

Chapter 1: System Overview

Acquiring Airborne Spectrometer Data

Window Name Minimum Maximum Major Radionuclide

Potassium (K) 1370 1570 1460 K-40

Working with 256-Channel Radiometrics Processing

Correcting Instrument Deadtime/Livetime Effects

256-Channel Radiometrics Processing enables you to apply either deadtime or

Applying Nonlinear and Lowpass Filters

montaj 256-Channel Radiometrics Processing enables you to implement both

Nonlinear filtering functionality is provided to assist in:

Removing spike-like noise in spectrometry data related to instrumentation effects

If you are interested in applying additional filters, we suggest that you

D ESCRIPTION OF N ONLINEAR F ILTERING

D ESCRIPTION OF L OWPASS F ILTERING

Correcting Radar Altimeter Data to Standard Temperature and Pressure

In order to apply the radiometric analysis technique, it is necessary to convert actual