Pielavesi Suurisuo, Airborne gamma-ray measurement (potassium)
Peat thickness has been classified successfully in Finland by using gamma ray absorption method (Virtanen & Vironmäki 1985). The gamma ray absorption depends on the properties of the medium and the energy of the gamma nuclides. Normal corrections, background, stripping and height corrections are made to the airborne gamma ray data and the data are classified and presented as a map. Potassium was found to be the best component for this application. It was modelled, using experimental coefficients that gamma ray radiation would not penetrate through 0.6 meters thick layer of peat. The same could be confirmed by comparing gamma ray maps and observations made in the mire area. Although this application does not give accurate thickness of the peat layer, it can be utilised to classify mires to thin, less than 0.6 metres deep and to thick, more than 0.6 metres deep. It saves a lot of costs when many thin swamps can be rejected from further exploration. It was also found that some deep swamps, which cannot be seen on the topographic maps at all, could be localised by this method, Aerogeophysics in Finland 1972-2004.
Pielavesi Suurisuo, Airborne gamma-ray measurement (potassium)
Peat thickness has been classified successfully in Finland by using gamma ray absorption method (Virtanen & Vironmäki 1985). The gamma ray absorption depends on the properties of the medium and the energy of the gamma nuclides. Normal corrections, background, stripping and height corrections are made to the airborne gamma ray data and the data are classified and presented as a map. Potassium was found to be the best component for this application. It was modelled, using experimental coefficients that gamma ray radiation would not penetrate through 0.6 meters thick layer of peat. The same could be confirmed by comparing gamma ray maps and observations made in the mire area. Although this application does not give accurate thickness of the peat layer, it can be utilised to classify mires to thin, less than 0.6 metres deep and to thick, more than 0.6 metres deep. It saves a lot of costs when many thin swamps can be rejected from further exploration. It was also found that some deep swamps, which cannot be seen on the topographic maps at all, could be localised by this method, Aerogeophysics in Finland 1972-2004.