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Southern Hemisphere October 2017 Background Report. (32% above Average)
Station locations
http://sccc.org.au/monitoring/Australian-Map.jpg
This short animation of Northern and Southern Hemisphere air circulation, shows why we can get detections so far south.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh011eAYjAA
Report
Caloundra October 2017 – The elevated background level increases we are seeing in the October 2017 chart have also coincided with a significant increase in Radon detection in the local atmosphere.
http://sccc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Radon_Info_ENG.pdf
The amount of Radon detected locally has increased significantly since September 2017. In September Radon levels stayed below 0.1 pCi/l for the majority of the month.
http://sccc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ThereminoGeiger_2017_09_16_21_57_37.jpg
At times in October it has reached up into 3 pCi/l.
http://sccc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ThereminoGeiger_2017_10_04_21_39_06.jpg
During this period there was a high pressure system sitting between Australia and New Zealand. It was bringing air flows from the West coast of New Zealand and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, to this location. This suggests the Radon source is from the recent volcanic activity in Northern New Zealand, and earthquake releases in the Eastern Pacific.
http://sccc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Surface-wind-direction-20-10-2017.png
The recent Radon increases would have been a contributing factor to the October elevated background levels, but not the only factor.
Caloundra October month average, year comparisons.
2017 32% above pre-Fukushima average
2016 22% above pre-Fukushima average
2015 12% above pre-Fukushima average
2014 14% above pre-Fukushima average
2013 25% above pre-Fukushima average
2012 19% above pre-Fukushima average
October day average chart,
Year and month average local background radiation levels from 2007 to 2017.
http://sccc.org.au/yearly-average-background-radiation-levels
Disclaimer: This is an amateur volunteer run service. Human error can provide incorrect information, and equipment malfunction can produce false readings. Do not rely on, or take action upon information presented here, without further research.
Southern Hemisphere September 2017 Background Report. (27% above Average)
Station locations
http://sccc.org.au/monitoring/Australian-Map.jpg
This short animation of Northern and Southern Hemisphere air circulation, shows why we can get detections so far south.
Report
Caloundra September 2017 – In the last few months there has been a steady increase in month averages at this location in the Southern Hemisphere. The months have been very dry. The September rainfall total was 15mm and the wettest day was the 23rd, with 13mm. Radon levels have been low, so it did not contribute significantly to the day average increases we have seen through September.
I have been trying to work out why there has been an unseasonal increase in background here in winter, on top of the normal Fukushima increase.
So what created these recent increases?
Here are some theories.
1. There has been more mixing of Northern and Southern hemisphere tropical air flows, allowing more radiation from the Northern hemisphere to enter the Southern Hemisphere.
2. Research is showing that more cosmic rays are now reaching the Earth because the Sun’s heliosphere is decreasing in intensity.
(2017 chart of Cosmic Ray increases.)
This is part of a normal Sun cycle that occurs approximately every 420 years.
Could a significant part of the Winter background uptick here be from increased cosmic radiation and
by-products reaching the earth’s surface?
Cosmic ray muon creation in the upper atmosphere could also be a significant part of this increase.
http://cosmic.lbl.gov/SKliewer/Cosmic_Rays/Muons.htm
If this is the case, we would expect there to be an uptick in background radiation detection by Geiger counters, even at the surface of the Earth.
Most people don’t go to the trouble of collecting day average and month average radiation background levels, using 60 second sampling. My system of data collection will show changes that would be missed by others.
3. The Monitoring Geiger Counter is malfunctioning.
I haven’t been able to find any evidence that this is the case. Ruled out the possibility of dust contamination as the area around monitoring counter was cleaned of dust, plus the Geiger counter was also inspected and cleaned of any dust build up. The background levels have continued to climb, even after the clean.
The GammaScout Geiger counter battery level is still at the normal operating 3.6 volts.
——————
My conclusion at this point is that the increased cosmic ray activity, plus the Fukushima increase, are both contributing to the local background levels we are now seeing.
Caloundra September month average, year comparisons.
2017 27% above pre-Fukushima average
2016 12% above pre-Fukushima average
2015 5% above pre-Fukushima average
2014 5% above pre-Fukushima average
2013 15% above pre-Fukushima average
2012 13% above pre-Fukushima average
September day average chart,
Year and month average local background radiation levels from 2007 to 2017.
http://sccc.org.au/yearly-average-background-radiation-levels
Disclaimer: This is an amateur volunteer run service. Human error can provide incorrect information, and equipment malfunction can produce false readings. Do not rely on, or take action upon information presented here, without further research.
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