title: The use of unmanned aerial systems for the mapping of legacy uranium mines.
abstract: Historical mining of uranium mineral veins within Cornwall, England, has resulted in a significant amount of legacy radiological contamination spread across numerous long disused mining sites. Factors including the poorly documented and aged condition of these sites as well as the highly localised nature of radioactivity limit the success of traditional survey methods. A newly developed terrain-independent unmanned aerial system [UAS] carrying an integrated gamma radiation mapping unit was used for the radiological characterisation of a single legacy mining site. Using this instrument to produce high-spatial-resolution maps, it was possible to determine the radiologically contaminated land areas and to rapidly identify and quantify the degree of contamination and its isotopic nature. The instrument was demonstrated to be a viable tool for the characterisation of similar sites worldwide.
authors.affiliation: Interface Analysis Centre, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK. Electronic address: peter.martin@bristol.ac.uk.
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Interface Analysis Centre, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK.
authors.forename: O D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Payton
authors.affiliation: Interface Analysis Centre, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Fardoulis
authors.affiliation: Bristol Isotope Group, School of Geography, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1SS, UK.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.affiliation: Interface Analysis Centre, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK.
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Scott
mesh_terms: D004739:England; D008906:Mining; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D058998:Remote Sensing Technology; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014501:Uranium
keywords: Contamination; Cornwall; Gamma-spectrometry; UAV; Uranium