Abstract
The influence of various meteorological parameters on the observed time series of soil radon (222Rn) in the form of periodic oscillations is profound and well established. An attempt is made in the present study to identify and remove the periodic oscillations using singular spectrum analysis (SSA) to identify earthquake precursors in the time series of soil radon (222Rn) recorded at Badargadh, Kachchh region of Gujarat, India, for the period from February 21 to June 10, 2011. The temperature has shown diurnal oscillations, whereas radon and pressure show the mixture of diurnal and semi-diurnal oscillations. A Butterworth digital filter has been applied to the observed data of all parameters (222Rn, pressure, temperature, and humidity) to remove the long periodic trends (more than 30 days). The periodic and aperiodic components in the time series of soil radon are identified and separated using SSA. While correlating the radon with other parameters, we found that the aperiodic radon has negative correlation with temperature and the radon has positive correlation with humidity and pressure. Two earthquakes of magnitudes M3.7 and M4.2 which occurred on March 26, 2011, and May 17, 2011, respectively, are being investigated to identify anomalies before these earthquakes. These earthquakes are located within a distance of 100 km from Badargadh. Based on the statistical analysis of mean+2*sigma, we observed the anomalous radon signal before the occurrence of these earthquakes with relative percentage of 94–96% at Badargadh.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bourai AA, Gusain GS, Rautela BS, Joshi V, Prasad G, Ramola RC (2012) Variations in radon concentration in groundwater of Kumaon Himalaya, India. Radiat Prot Dosim 152:55–57. https://doi.org/10.1093/rpd/ncs186
Chaudhuri H, Barman C, Iyengar ANS, Ghose D, Sen P, Sinha B (2013) Long range correlation in earthquake precursory signals. Eur Phys J Spec Top 222:827–838
Chege MW, Rathore IVS, Chhabra SC, Mustapha AO (2009) The influence of meteorological parameters on indoor radon in selected traditional Kenyan dwellings. J Radiol Prot 29:95–103
Chen Q, Van Dam T, Sneeuw N, Collilieux X, Weigelt M, Rebischung P (2013) Singular spectrum analysis for modeling seasonal signals from GPS time series. J Geodyn 72:25–35
Choubey VM, Kumar N, Arora BR (2009) Precursory signatures in the radon and geo hydrological borehole data for M4.9 Kharsali earthquake of Garhwal Himalaya. Sci Total Environ 407:5877–5883
Choudhuri H, Das NK, Bhandari RK, Sen P, Sinha B (2010) Radon activity measurements around Bakreswar thermal springs. Radiat Meas 45:143–146
Crockett RGM, Perrier F, Richon P (2010) Spectral-decomposition techniques for the identification of periodic and anomalous phenomena in radon time-series. Nat Hazards Earth Syst Sci 10:559–564
De Leeuw J (2008) Singular Spectrum Analysis in R. http://gifi.stat.ucla.edu/janspubs/2009/notes/deleeuw_crutcher_U_09.pdf
Fu CC, Walia V, Yang TF, Lee LC, Liu TK, Chen CH, Kumar A, Lin SJ, Lai TH, Wen KL (2017) Preseismic anomalies in soil-gas radon associated with 2016 M 6.6 Meinong earthquake, Southern Taiwan. Terr Atmos Ocean Sci 28(5):787–798. https://doi.org/10.3319/TAO.2017.03.22.01
Ghil M, Allen RM, Dettinger MD, Ide K, Kondrashov D (2002) Advanced spectral methods for climatic time series. Rev Geophys 40(1):3.1–3.41. https://doi.org/10.1029/2000RG000092
Ghosh D, Deb A, Sengupta R (2009) Anomalous radon emission as precursor of earthquake. Appl Geophys 69(2):67–81
Goto M, Yasuoka Y, Nagahama H, Muto J, Omori Y, Ihara H, Mukai T (2016) Anomalous changes in atmospheric radon concentration before and after the 2011 northern Wakayama Earthquake (Mj 5.5). Radiat Prot Dosimetry 174. https://doi.org/10.1093/rpd/ncw142
Hassani H, Zhigljavsky A (2009) Singular spectrum analysis: methodology and application to economic data. J Syst Sci Complex 22(3):372–394. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11424-009-9171-9
Heinicke J, Koch U (2000) Slug Flow—A Possible Explanation for hydro geochemical earthquake precursors at Bad Brambach, Germany. Pure Appl Geophys 157:1621–1641
Igarashi G, Wakita H (1990) Groundwater radon anomalies associated with earthquakes. Tectonophysics 180:2–4
Iwata D, Nagahama H, Muto J, Yasuoka Y (2018) Non-parametric detection of atmospheric radon concentration anomalies related to earthquakes. Sci Rep 8:13028. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-31341-5
Jaishi HP, Singh S, Tiwari RP, Tiwari RC (2014) Correlation of radon anomalies with seismic events along Mat fault in Serchhip District, Mizoram, India. Appl Radiat Isot 79–84
King CY (1978) Radon emanation on San Andreas Fault. Nature 271:516–519
Kothyari G, Rakesh D, Singh A, Chauhan G, Thakkar M, Biswas S (2016) Tectonic evolution and stress pattern of South Wagad Fault at the Kachchh Rift Basin in western India. Geol Mag 154:875–887. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016756816000509
Külahcı F, Çiçek (2015) Time-series analysis of water and soil radon anomalies to identify micro-macro-earthquakes. Arab J Geosci 8:5239–5246
Külahcı F, Şen Z (2014) On the correction of spatial and statistical uncertainties in systematic measurements of 222Rn for earthquake prediction. Surv Geophys 35:449–478. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-013-9273-8
Kumar A, Walia V, Arora BR, Yang TF, Lin SJ, Fu CC, Chen CH (2015) Identifications and removal of diurnal and semidiurnal variations in radon time series data of Hsinhua monitoring station in SW Taiwan using singular spectrum analysis. Nat Hazards 79:317–330. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-015-1844-1
Kumar G, Kumari P, Kumar A, Prasher S, Kumar M (2017) A study of radon and thoron concentration in the soil along the active fault of NW Himalayas in India. Ann Geophys 60(3):S0329. https://doi.org/10.4401/ag-7057
Maldonado SC, Monnin M, Segovia N, Seidel JL (1996) A radon measurement network to study radon anomalies as precursors of strong earthquakes in the Guerrero seismic gap. 11 WCEE, Pergamon. Paper 1762, p 6
Pullinets SA, Alekseev VA, Legerika AD, Khegai VV (1997) Radon and metallic aerosols emanation before strong earthquakes and their role in atmosphere and ionosphere modification. Adv Space Res 20:2173–2176
Ramola RC, Prasad Y, Prasad G, Kumar S, Choubey VM (2008) Soil-gas radon as seismotectonic indicator in Garhwal Himalaya. J Appl Radiat Isot 66:1523–1530
Richon P, Perrier F, Pili E, Sabroux JC (2009) Detectability and significance of 12 hr barometric tide in radon-222 signal, dripwater flow rate, air temperature and carbon dioxide concentration in an underground tunnel. Geophys J Int 176:683–694. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2008.04000
Rikitake T (1979) Classification of earthquake precursors. Tectonophysics 54:293–309. https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-1951(79)90372-X
Sac MM, Harmansah C, Camgoz B, Sozbilir H (2011) Radon monitoring as the earthquake precursor in fault line in Western Turkey. Ekoloji 20(79):93–98. https://doi.org/10.5053/ekoloji.2011.7912
Sahoo SK, Katlamudi M, Shaji JP, Murali Krishna KS, Udayalaxmi G (2018) Influence of meteorological parameters on the soil radon (Rn222) emanation in Kutch, Gujarat, India. Environ Monit Assess 190:111. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-6434-0
Scholz CH, Sykes LR, Aggarwal YP (1973) Earthquake prediction: a physical basis. Science 181:803–810
Singh M, Ramola RC, Singh S, Virk HS (1988) The influence of meteorological parameters on soil gas radon. J Assoc Explor Geophys 9:85–90
Steinitz G, Begin ZB, Gazit-Yaari N (2003) A statistically significant relation between Rn flux and weak earthquakes in the Dead Sea rift valley. Geology 31:505–508. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613
Sundal AV, Valen V, Soldal O, Strand T (2008) The influence of meteorological parameters on soil radon levels in permeable glacial sediments. Sci Total Environ 389(2-3):418–428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2007.09.001
Toutain JP, Baubron JC (1999) Gas geochemistry and seismo tectonics: a review. Tectonophysics 304:1–27
Virk HS, Walia V, Kumar N (2001) Helium/radon precursory anomalies of Chamoli earthquake, Garhwal Himalaya India. J Geodyn 31:201–210
Wakita H, Igarashi G, Notsu K (1991) An anomalous radon decreases in ground-water prior to an M6.0 earthquake: a possible precursor. Geophys Res Lett 18:629–632
Walia V, Virk HS, Yang TF, Mahajan S, Walia M, Bajwa BS (2005) Earthquake prediction studies using radon as a precursor in N-W Himalayas, India: a case study. TAO 4:775–804
Walia V, Yang TF, Lin S-J, Hong WL, Fu CC, Wen KL, Chen CH (2009) Continuous temporal soil-gas composition variations for earthquake precursory studies along Hsincheng and Hsinhua faults in Taiwan. Radiat Meas 44:934–939
Yang TF, Fu CC, Walia V, Chen CH, Chyi LL, Liu TK, Song SR, Lee M, Lin CW, Lin CC (2006) Seismo-geochemical variations in SW Taiwan: multiparameter automatic gas monitoring results. Pure Appl Geophys 163:693–709. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-006-0040-3
Acknowledgements
The authors extend their gratitude to Director and Director General of ISR for permitting us to publish this work and their constant support in undertaking this research. The authors extend high gratitude to Dr. Amjad Kallel, Chief Editor, Arabian Journal of Geosciences, and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable suggestions to improve this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Amjad Kallel
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sahoo, S.K., Katlamudi, M. & Gakka, U.L. Singular spectrum analysis on soil radon time series (222Rn) in Kachchh, Gujarat, India: detection of periodic oscillations and earthquake precursors. Arab J Geosci 13, 973 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-05946-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-05946-y