Speaker
Description
Luminescence dating accuracy relies on precise determination of the total dose rate ($D_r$). While alpha and beta radiation effects are highly localised, gamma radiation forms a complex, continuous field influenced by the heterogeneous distribution of radionuclides throughout a sediment profile. Standard dosimetry often overlooks these spatial fluctuations, potentially leading to age inaccuracies in stratified deposits.
In this study, we present a spatial modelling approach to map the gamma radiation field within sediment profiles for trapped-charge dating purposes. We built a Python application that adapts and utilises the mathematics proposed by Herrmann and Zimmermann, (2025) and enables the direct visualization of the gamma radiation field distribution in geological profiles. Its primary aim is to help users evaluate how sediment layers of differing radioactivity influence more distant sampling points, explicitly accounting for the discrete distribution of natural decay chain radionuclides to improve the reliability of dose rate estimations.
Acknowledgement
JR would like to acknowledge that this research is a part of the project number 2024/53/N/ST10/01996 funded by the National Science Centre.
References
Herrmann, L., Zimmermann, G., 2025. A Deterministic Model of the Gamma Radiation at the Soil Surface–Including Soil Moisture Correction for Better Radiation Data Exploitation in Soil Mapping. J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. 188, 299–311. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.202400129