Radioactivity of Sediments at the Atacama Rover Astrobiology Drilling Studies Field Site

Introduction: During the 2018 Atacama Rover Astrobiology Drilling Studies (ARADS) field activities, we conducted a survey of surface and subsurface sediment radioactivity. Our objective was to characterize the radiation environment of various near-surface sampling locations, as well as along the entire profile of a 2.60 m deep pit that had been dug near one of the ARADS rover drill site locations. This pit was used to collect samples that have been well characterized [2] for comparison to samples collected and analyzed by the rover.