Fusing marine radioactivity mapping and geochemical data using state-of-the-art GIS technology 1 Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), Athens, Greece 2 National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Zografou Campus, Athens, Greece 3 Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom INTRODUCTION RAMONES [1], an EU H2020 FET Proactive Project, seeks to develop and deploy a new set of prototype, AI-driven instruments for continuous and in situ measurements of natural and artificial radioactivity in the marine environment. A main objective of the project is to introduce a conceptual methodology to investigate the potential connection between radioactivity and hydrothermal activity and develop a properly designed Risk Information System (RIS), including geospatial mapping among other features (see Fig. 1). In the present work, in situ measurements in the coastal zone of Paleochori in Milos Island in Greece are used to develop the first stage of the RIS, where various layers of data will be fused under one grand-unified scheme. METHODOLOGY • GIS (Geographic Information System) is a framework used for the collection, storage, management, analysis, and visualization of spatially distributed data. • In a recent mission at Paleochori Bay, geospatial data were collected using the RAMONES-developed γ-Sniffers (CZT- based γ-radiation spectrometers, see Fig. 2) homogenized and integrated into the relational File Geodatabase (FGDB). • In addition, samples of sediments were collected and measured with a high- resolution HPGe spectrometer. • The FGDB and the RIS will be enriched with new measurements each time the RAMONES instruments operate. Figure 1 / Design implementation of RAMONES RIS equipped with GIS functionality. DISCUSSION – FUTURE WORK • The activity maps along the coast (shown in Figs. 3 & 4) indicate the presence of elevated radioactivity levels near the sources of the submarine hydrothermal vents (at a depth of 2-3 m). A clear spatial correlation is apparent in the maps. • More data are currently under analysis to establish the full geochemical spread of naturally occurring radioactive substances around the hydrothermal vents in deeper waters. • An important aspect is to track the diffusion and transport of these radioisotopes away from the sources and establish the baseline activity at the coastal interface • The high-resolution results serve as validation for the mobile instruments γ-Sniffers • (near-)Real-time information collected with the RAMONES instruments will be updated on the RIS REFERENCES [1] RAMONES website, https://www.ramones-project.eu [2] P. Krassakis, et al., Geomatics 2, 297 (2022), doi: 10.3390/geomatics2030017 RAMONES receives funding from European Union under Horizon 2020 FET Proactive Programme via grant agreement No. 101017808 Pavlos Krassakis1, Konstantina Pyrgaki1,2, Theo J. Mertzimekis2, Konstantinos Nikolopoulos3, Stavroula Kazana2, Eleni Petra2 Figure 3 / 226Ra spatial distribution at Paleochori (Southern Milos) sampling areas. Basemap source: ESRI Figure 4 / 40K spatial distribution at Paleochori (Southern Milos) sampling areas. Basemap source: ESRI RESULTS – GEOCHEMICAL RISK • Two of the produced maps shown below in Fig. 3 and 4 represent the spatial distributions of 226Ra and 40K, respectively. These natural radioisotopes serve often as tracers for understanding the geochemical dynamics in the marine environment. • The GIS platform [2] will produce heat maps, represented by a five-color code (no risk / normal / low risk / high risk / eminent risk) to provide clear information to interested stakeholders. In the final processing stage, the results will be prepared as web layers on ArcGIS Online, which is a cloud- based Software as a Service (SaaS) Web GIS platform that allows access from any internet-connected device. Figure 2 / A γ-Sniffer