Spatial Distribution of Air Dose Rate in Grazing Grassland

A field study was carried out to determine the spatial distribution of air dose rate on grazed grassland after the earthquake on 11 March, 2011 in the Northwest Pacific of Northeastern Japan. Data on air dose rates (μSv h-1) were collected from Ichinoseki, south of Iwate Prefecture, Japan. Air dose rates were collected from each of 1 m interval of 12 ×12 m^2 site (L-site). At the center of Lsite, 1.2 ×1.2 m^2 site (S-site) was located. One hundred and forty four (144) equal spaced quadrats were defined in the S-site. Again, air dose rates were collected from central point of each of the quadrat. Moran’s I, a measure of autocorrelation was used to test the spatial heterogeneity of air dose rate on grazed grassland. Autocorrelation in S-site area was significantly higher than L-site area. Air dose rate did not show significant autocorrelation at any spatial lag in L-site. In S-site, air dose rate level showed significant autocorrelation in twelve of sixteen spatial lag. Autocorrelograms and Moran’s scatterplot showed that air dose rate was frequently and positively spatially correlated at distance less than 0.1 m.