Project Title

Operation and maintenance of a CTBT radionuclide monitoring station at Palmer Station

Summary

Event Number:
T-998-P
NSF / DTRA Agreement

NSF Contact:
Ms. Jessie Crain

ASC POC/Implementer:
Allison Barden / Jamee Johnson

Principal Investigator(s)

Mr. David G Williams
david.g.williams36.civ@mail.mil
Alexandria, Virginia

Project Web Site:
https://www.ctbto.org/

Location

Supporting Stations: Palmer Station
Research Locations: Palmer Station Terra Lab

Description

This project services and calibrates the automated radionuclide air-particulate (RN73 RASA) monitoring system in the International Monitoring Station (IMS) building (i.e., Terra Lab) at Palmer Station. The IMS continuously collects and automatically analyzes daily air samples for radiation. The collected filter-media samples from the RASA are sent to Vienna, Austria quarterly for archiving. Filter samples are shipped, upon request, to various laboratories elsewhere in the world.

Field Season Overview

The project operates, maintains, upgrades and sustains the RN73 RASA monitoring instrument. The RASA continuously collects and automatically analyses daily air samples for radiation. The collected filter media samples from the RASA are sent to Vienna, Austria for archiving on a quarterly basis. Additionally, periodic requests are made for single samples to be shipped to various laboratories elsewhere in the world. General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS) ships consumables for standard operation on an annual basis to RN73. The U.S. Antarctic Program provides year-round, on-site support by the Antarctic Support Contract research associate to help operate and maintain the RASA. In addition, a GDMS engineer deploys each season for maintenance of the RASA, network switches, the uninterruptable power supply, computers and other station related hardware. A pending additional task requiring support from station staff is to replace the sampler's 10-inch inlet stack. Materials for this task are already on site.

Deploying Team Members