Mapping Radioactive Heat Production from Airborne Spectral Gamma-Ray Data of Gebel Duwi Area, Egypt

Authors: Ahmed Salem, Abouelhoda Elsirafy, Alaa Aref, Atef Ismail, Sachio Ehara and Keisuke Ushijima
Keywords: Airborne; Radioactive heat production; Gebel Duwi; Egypt; Red Sea; gamma-ray spectrometry.
Conference: World Geothermal Congress Session: 7. Geophysics
Year: 2005 Language: English
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Abstract: A map of radioactive heat production was constructed from airborne spectral gamma-ray data of Gebel Duwi area, Egypt. The study area possesses a range of radioactive heat production varying from 0.21 Wm-3 to 3.09 Wm-3. Sedimentary rocks in the Gebel Duwi area have higher heat production values (0.25 Wm-3 to 3.09 Wm-3) than the crustal average for sedimentary rocks. The average heat production of granitic rocks is below the crustal average value (1.48 Wm-3) for the granites. The high values of heat production in the sedimentary rocks are mainly related to the relative increase of uranium content in the Duwi phosphate formation. The reduced heat production of the granitic rocks indicates that additional mantle components combine with the crustal radioactive heat production to the heat sources in the Gebel Duwi area.
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