Airborne gamma survey of the historic Sleisbeck mine area in the Northern Territory, Australia, and its use for site rehabilitation planning

An airborne γ-survey provided information about the extent of radioactive contamination around the historic Sleisbeck mine. Quickbird satellite data were acquired to relate airborne measurements to land cover features. Enhanced equivalent uranium (eU) levels were found to be confined to the mine and low grade waste rock dumps. The average terrestrial background radiation dose rate estimated from the airborne gamma survey data was 0.10–0.14 μGy h−1 while the area around the mine exhibited a maximum of ∼2.3 μGy h−1, but measurements on the ground indicate that this maximum is exceeded in some localized areas. Rehabilitation of the site is likely to result in a threefold reduction in radiation doses to people accessing the area.