Radioactive heat production of Syrian territory

Highlights: • 748 Rock samples taken from Syrian territory were analyzed by γ-ray spectrometry technique to evaluate eU, eTh, and K%. • The analyzed eU, eTh, and K% are used to evaluate and map (HP) of Syria. • Concentration-number mode (CN) is proposed to map eU, and HP of Syrian territory. • High values of HP are related to phosphatic deposits in Syria. - Abstract: Gamma-ray spectrometry is applied to estimate equivalent uranium (eU), equivalent thorium (eTh), and K% of 748 rock samples collected from Syrian territory. The spectrometry results are used to evaluate and map the radioactive heat production (HP) of Syria. A new approach involving the multifractal technique with the concentration-number model (CN) and log-log plots was originally proposed and hence applied in this paper to map the distribution of uranium concentration and HP of Syria. This approach helps us to differentiate different eU and HP ranges related to different litho-types. The advantages of proposing and applying the fractal technique are that the boundaries of the distinguished radioactive ranges of eU and HP coincide well with the lithological boundaries, which gives this technique superiority over other traditional statistical methods. The fractal CN model with the use of log–log plots proves its efficacy in differentiating between several eU and HP populations that are related directly to the geology of Syrian territory. The fractal model shows four threshold break points corresponding to uranium concentrations of 3.1, 7.38, 16.6, and 28.8 ppm and an HP of 0.715, 1.86, 3.63, and 6.26 μW/m³, respectively. The highest HP ranges are mainly related to the phosphatic deposits, characterized by the highest uranium content.