Continuous Radon measurements at High altitude Physics Observatory, Gulmarg, Kashmir valley,J&K.
Description
The data set include 7-day continuous measurement (daily as well as diurnal) of radon-222 gas at 1-hour resolution collected at a high-altitude Physics Observatory at Gulmarg which is situated roughly 55 Km from Srinagar, the capital city of Jammu & Kashmir and lies in the Pir Panjals range of the Himalayas. The longitude and latitude of Gulmarg are 74◦24’E and 34◦03’N with a mean altitude of 2743.2 m. The data was obtained using a scintillation detector (RnDuo Monitor), developed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India. The first column (Column A), shows time (in hours) where cell A3 represents 1:00 am, A4 represents 2:00 am and so on. Columns B-H show daily Radon variation while as rows B-H shows the hourly variation of radon measured in Becquerel per cubic metre. Column I shows the average values. Value of the Data: • The Gulmarg High Altitude observatory primarily records meteorological parameters. However, the observatory is also equipped with many other scientific instruments to detect and record various other parameters like particulate matter, atmospheric electricity, seismic activities etc. However, as of now, no data about radon gas is available, the knowledge of which can be instrumental to other researchers working at the observatory. • Radon gas is a known carcinogen (Samet and Eradze, 2000). In fact, it is the first cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and second among smokers (Darby et al., 2005; World Health Organization, 2010). Therefore, the data pertaining to radon concentration, are vital from the epidemiological perspective. • The observatory was recently equipped with an Electric Field Mill (EFM) to measure atmospheric electricity, which is known to be influenced by Radon gas (Chandrashekara et al., 2006; García-Talavera et al., 2001). The data set for radon concentration will definitely serve as a yardstick for this and other such research works.