The Impact of Geographic Location on the Variation of Cosmic Ray Radiation Dose: An Analytical Study

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between geographic location and atmospheric cosmic radiation doses. The study evaluates the individual effects of latitude, longitude, and altitude above sea level on the absorbed dose rate in ambient air. To isolate these geographical variables, the influence of the solar cycle was eliminated by conducting all calculations during a period of solar minimum, specifically spanning the transition between the end of Solar Cycle 24 and the onset of the current Solar Cycle 25. The findings demonstrate a strong correlation between geographic coordinates and atmospheric cosmic ray exposure. Altitude above sea level emerged as the primary determinant governing the absorbed dose. Latitude was found to be the second most significant factor, followed closely by longitude. Furthermore, the cosmic-ray-induced effective dose was calculated for selected Libyan cities to quantify and illustrate the direct impact of geographic variation on the continuous baseline background radiation exposure to the human population.