Airborne gamma-ray spectrometer and magnetometer survey. Volume I. Final report

An airborne combined radiometric and magnetic survey was performed for the Department of Energy (DOE) over the area covered by the Mariposa, California and Nevada; Fresno, California; and Bakersfield, Caifornia 1:250,000 National Topographic Map Series (NTMS) 10 x 20 quadrangle maps. The survey was a part of DOE's National Aerial Radiometric Reconnaissance (ARR) program, which in turn is a part of the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) program. Data were collected by a helicopter equipped with a gamma-ray spectrometer having a large crystal volume, and a high sensitivity proton precession magnetometer. The radiometric system was calibrated at the Walker Field Calibration pads and the Lake Mead Dynamic Test range. Data quality was ensured throughout the survey by daily test flights and equipment checks. Radiometric data were corrected for live time, aircraft and equipment background, cosmic background, atmospheric radon, Compton scatter, and altitude dependence. The corrected data were statistically evaluated, plotted, and contoured to produce anomaly maps based on the radiometric response of individual geological units. These maps were interpreted and an anomaly interpretation map produced. Volume I contains a description of the systems used in the survey, a discussion of the calibration of the systems, the data processing procedures, the data display format, the interpretation rationale, and the interpretation methodology. A separate Volume II for each quadrangle contains the data displays and the interpretation results