RESPONSE OF THE CZECH RMN NETWORK TO THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. Issue 2 (6th December 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Šlegl, J; Minářová, J; Kuča, P; Kolmašová, I; Santolík, O; Sokol, Z; Reitz, G; Ambrožová, I; Ploc, O
• Is Part Of: Radiation protection dosimetry. Volume 186:Issue 2/3(2019)
• Page Start: 215
• Page End: 218
• Publication Date: 2019-12-06
• Subjects: Radiation dosimetry -- Periodicals; Radiation -- Safety measures -- Periodicals; 363.1799
• DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncz205
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0144-8420

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Thunderstorm ground enhancement (TGE) is a phenomenon that enhances radiation background on the ground related to thunderstorm activity and charge structure of the thundercloud. On the other hand, the rise of gamma background is connected with precipitation by the washout of radon progeny from the atmosphere. In our analysis, we examined known enhancements of gamma background, previously attributed solely to radon progeny, using data from the Czech Radiation Monitoring Network (RMN) to investigate the enhancements with respect to thunderstorms and TGE phenomena. We also used radar precipitation data and data from the lightning location network to analyze their influences on the radiation background enhancement during three thunderstorm events that occurred in summer 2016 over the Czech Republic (Central Europe). We state that the RMN might have detected TGE over the Czech Republic.