Case Study: IRSN achieves faster, more precise radiation mapping with Geovariances' Kartotrak

IRSN intensively uses Kartotrak for efficient generation of precise maps

IRSN, the French national public expert in nuclear and radiological hazards, needed a faster and more reliable way to communicate large volumes of radiation measurement data to the public and to decision makers. After moving from static to mobile measurements, the organization wanted clear, concise maps that could be produced quickly, while still allowing quality control and avoiding the “black box” feel of standard GIS tools. It turned to Geovariances and its Kartotrak software for this purpose.

Geovariances implemented Kartotrak to give IRSN control over kriging parameters, support rapid processing of large and streaming datasets, and produce precise, easy-to-understand maps in emergency contexts. The result was a major time saving: IRSN now produces weekly maps, with less than one hour between receiving aircraft-collected field data and delivering an interpolated map, including preprocessing. Geovariances also helped IRSN respond effectively during Fukushima by rapidly generating maps for on-site experts and later developed a plugin to read ANSI N42 data and import server data in real time.

IRSN

Christophe Debayle

Head of Atmospheric Monitoring