On the Path of the Elusive Gamma Ray: Travels on Six Continents to Spread the Gospel of Calibration

摘要

As one’s career unfolds, an opportunity to act as an advisor, or in ‘collaborative research’rnin foreign lands often presents itself. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),rnfor example calls them ‘Expert Missions’. The Canadian International DevelopmentrnAgency (CIDA) also has technical advisory missions. These missions present therngeophysicist with two problems; the geophysical problem at hand, and the culturalrnproblems/experiences to be encountered. These affect each other. There is also thernconsideration of the meaning of ‘Developing Nations’ and how it will impinge on thernmission. The mission will be affected by everything from the weather, the power supplyrnvoltage, the language, the availability of parts and supplies, to the politics and religion.rnThe author has been involved over a period of years in an IAEA InternationalrnIntercalibration Project to tie together calibration models around the world with arn‘standard’ gamma-ray logging system. He has also participated in an advisory capacityrnin the construction of calibration facilities around the world, for airborne, surface andrnborehole gamma-ray spectrometry. Instructions on the use of concrete model boreholernfacilities to derive calibration factors, and the application of these factors to uranium,rngold and phosphate exploration data acquired in the field to produce quantitativernmeasurements, has also taken the author to many different countries.rnThis presentation is a lighthearted look at some experiences (mostly good) and technicalrn(and non-technical) observations. These are from a geophysicist traveller on a mission tornpass on knowledge of the use of gamma-ray spectrometry in boreholes in particular, butrnalso on the ground and in the air, and the importance of proper calibration of equipment.rnBesides the transfer of knowledge and meeting interesting people, one of the advantagesrnof such travel is to be able to see and experience different and sometimes exotic cultures.rnFor this ‘expert mission overview’ the author draws upon experiences on six continents:rnAsia- India, Iran, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia; Africa- Egypt, Europe- Norway,rnDenmark, Sweden, Czechoslovakia (then), Hungary, Poland, and Greece; SouthrnAmerica- Argentina and Venezuela; Australia; and North America- USA and Canada.rnThis might be considered as a pseudo-technical travelogue, perhaps useful to the youngrngeophysicist looking forward to some future world travelling experiences....as told by onernwho’s been there, done that.