In-situ gamma-ray site characterization of the Tatum Salt Dome Test Site in Lamar County, Mississippi

Field surveys of gamma-ray emitting nuclides and soil core sampling were conducted at 12 sites on the Tatum Salt Dome Test Site and surrounding control areas to determine exposure rates from surficial radioactivity. 137Cs was the only man-made radionuclide detected and was most abundant at three off-site locations on cultivated lawns. 137Cs inventories at all of the on-site survey locations were lower than expected, given the high annual precipitation in the area. The vertical distributions were more extended than those reported for undisturbed sites. Pressurized ion chamber measurements indicated no significant differences in exposure rates on and off the test site.