APPLICATION OF AIRBORNE SPECTRAL GAMMA-RAY DATA FOR DELINEATING SURFACE DISTRIBUTION OF HEAT PRODUCTION AT GEBEL EL BAKRIYAH – WADI EL BATUR AREA, CENTRAL EASTERN DESERT, EGYPT

The surface radioactive heat production map of Gebel El Bakriyah – Wadi El Batur area is
constructed based on the airborne spectral gamma-ray data. This area comprises a wide diversity of igneous,
metamorphic and sedimentary rocks ranging in age from Precambrian to the Quaternary. It possesses gamma radiation
ranging between 1.6 and 33.5 Ur as a total count, 0.1 to 3.7 % for K, 0.1 to 30.1 ppm for eU and 0.8 to 28.9 ppm for
eTh. The radioactive heat production values for the rock units in the study area range from 0.19 μW/m3 to 6.92 μW/m3,
the highest radioactive heat production values (2 μW/m3 to 6.92 μW/m3) are related to some parts of the younger
granites of Gebel El Bakriyah , Dakhla Formation (shale) and Duwi Formation (phosphatic beds). However, the lowest
values of the radioactive heat production (0.19 to 1 μW/m3) are corresponding to metasediments, metavolcanics,
serpentinite, metagabbro, Taref Formation and some parts of Quseir and Dakhla formations. A good correlation is
found between the heat production map and equivalent uranium map, which reflects that the uranium content could be
the main effective factor for the surface distribution of heat production in the study area