of the ionization chamber should show up in the data
analysis.
None were evident.
Denver and Colorado Springs,

Colo.

The Denver area was of special interest.
Higher than
average terrestrial radiation levels had been measured
with air ionization chambers during earlier HASL surveys.*
These high levels were confirmed by the October 1962 data
and were shown to be due to higher than average soil con-

centrations of K49 and Th232, particularly the latter.

These measurements were rechecked in 1963 and a number of
new measurements were taken.
Natural terrestrial levels
ranging from 8-15 ur/hr were found.
Since cosmic ray dose

rate contributions at these altitudes are 6-7 ur/hr,°®

total natural dose rates from penetrating radiations are

in the range 14-22 ur/hr.
This may be compared to total
natural dose rate values of about 10-12 ur/hr in the New
York City area,
In addition, fallout further increased

these levels by 2-3 ur/hr in October 1962 and 1-2 wr/hr in

October 1963.

This area is the only one yet found in the

continental United States where a reasonably large population is exposed to ambient radiation levels 50-100% higher
than is usual.
SUMMARY
The wide diversity of sites and conditions encountered on
these surveys in the southeast, central, and western United
States were extremely helpful in evaluating the validity of
our methods of spectrum analysis as well as for studying the

performance of our instrumentation in a variety of field situations.
The instruments generally performed well and the dose
rates inferred from our spectrometric methods and ionization
chamber readings were in close agreement over a wide range of
terrestrial and cosmic environmental radiation fields.

The data obtained on these surveys indicated that fallout

usually contributed a significant amount to the total terrestrial

dose rate.
Fallout levels encountered in the Spring of 1963
during the survey through the southeast were relatively high
(4-5 ur/hr) compared to the levels encountered on the western

surveys in October of 1962 and 1963

(2-4 ur/hr).

The effect

of precipitation on fallout dose rate was indicated by the

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