False radon anomalies flagged by low radon/thoron ratios. Radon-222, from the uranium-238 decay series, has a half-life of 3.8 days. Thoron (radon-220), from the thorium decay series, has a half-live of 55 seconds. It is easy to resolve these two radon isotopes in the field, just by looking at the drop in count rate over the first few minutes. The ratio of radon to thoron can tell us a lot about soil permeability and weed out false anomalies. In 1972 I ran an east-west radon-in-soil-gas line across and perpendicular to the boulder train just south of Midwest Lake in the Athabasca of Saskatchewan. As expected, I noted high radon readings at the boulder train. The ground here is low, flat and damp. The boulders give a strong gamma-ray signal as well. At the west end of this soil line is a north-south sand ridge, about two meters high and parallel to the nearby esker. This sand ridge is removed from any uranium mineralization. On the top this sand ridge I was surprised to find high radon readings. However, the count rate here dropped off rapidly in the first few minutes, indicating thoron. The explanation of the thoron anomaly is that the dry, permeable, sandy soil gives up its gases readily, all its gases, methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen etc., as well and radon and thoron. So, it's not really a radon or thoron anomaly, but a permeability anomaly. I learned of a recent survey using a different system (not ours) which can measure radon only, not thoron. This survey was in a glaciated terrain similar to Midwest Lake. They found a strong radon anomaly on a small sand hill, which turned out to be a false anomaly, not associated with uranium mineralization. Most likely this anomaly is due to the ease of gas migration out of this dry, sandy, permeable soil. These mobile gases would include thoron, as well as radon, and we hope that our instrument would have identified high thoron levels (low radon/thoron ratios), and flagged it immediately as a false amomaly. These "high" thoron levels in soil gas are only trace amounts and cannot be detected by a gamma spectrometer. The half-life of thoron is only 55 seconds, and the amount that can get into the gas phase in this short time is too low relative to the gamma background for it to be detectable. With our Lucas cell, however, we only need a few dozen thoron atoms, and with the short half-life we can count most of them in the first three minutes. High readings on the thorium channel of the gamma spectrometer indicate thorium minerals in the rock or soil. Our Lucas cell measures alpha radioactivity (radon and thoron) in the gas phase. In order to weed out thoron anomalies we have developed a formula to resolve radon from thoron giving on-the-spot results with our field instruments. We have been making this discrimination routinely in our field surveys ever since. In 1984 we ran an orientation survey in the Karoo of Madagascar link. By calculating radon/thoron ratios and radon, we were able to recognize anomalies due to mineralization buried as deep as 18 meters. Simply stripping thoron out and plotting pure radon is not enough: you have to use the radon/thoron ratios as well. In 2008, one of our clients reported very good results in glacial soils. They made an important drill intersection at least three meters under anomalous surface radon and high radon/thoron ratios. To our knowledge, radon/thoron ratios have not been applied to oil and gas exploration; they could prove very powerful.

INSTRUMENTS We measure: radon - radium - thoron - radon daughters - alpha radiation. The Lucas cell is recognized as the most sensitive and reliable method for these elements. Our instruments are used around the world in exploration for uranium, oil & gas, groundwater and hydrothermal, and in health physics, earthquake prediction, and evaluation of hydrocarbon and NAPL contamination. In the radon business since 1968, our latest major instrument update was 2011. Modern, low-power, field-rugged electronics. Sensitive to geochemical trace levels necessary for radon in lake water and for radon-thoron isotope ratios. Can work in a tent without electricity or be carried from point to point in the field. 40 readings per day. Results available immediately. Can be operated by junior personnel if carefully supervised. Same instruments used for radon and radium in soil, sediment, plant parts, rocks, water, soil gas, air, and snow, and for radon daughters in air. Click here for pictures of instruments. Click here for or other instruments, components and assessories we provide For instruments contact R.H. Morse & Associates Ltd. 1-416-269-9979 morse@finderschoice.com skype: robert.morse.toronto Multilingual consulting and training (if required). Robert H. Morse, Ph.D., P.Eng. November 28, 2008

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