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A Stress Condition in Aquifer Rock for Detecting Anomalous Radon Decline Precursory to an Earthquake

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Abstract

Recurrent groundwater radon anomalous declines were observed from well measurements in the Antung hot spring area (eastern Taiwan) prior to five of six earthquakes that occurred between 2003 and 2011 (M w range 5.0–6.8). The relationship between the detectability of radon anomalies and the first motions of P-waves was investigated. Based on the first motions of P-waves recorded near the investigated well, a precursory decrease in groundwater radon can be detected only when the first motion is compression. No precursory change in groundwater radon concentration was observed for the downward first motion of P-waves.

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(a), (b), (c), and (d) from Kuo (2014)

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Acknowledgements

Supports by the Ministry of Science and Technology Taiwan (NSC, MOST), Central Geological Surveys, Industrial Technology Research Institute (L550001060, N550003318), Radiation Monitoring Center, and Institute Earth Sciences of Academia Sinica of Taiwan are appreciated. The authors are grateful to Mr. C. Lin of the Antung hot spring for his kind field assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mineral and Petroleum Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan

    T. Kuo

  2. Institute of Geophysics, National Central University, Jhongli, Taiwan

    H. Kuochen

  3. Central Weather Bureau, Taipei, Taiwan

    C. Ho

  4. Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

    W. Chen

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  1. T. Kuo
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  2. H. Kuochen
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  3. C. Ho
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  4. W. Chen
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Correspondence to T. Kuo.

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Kuo, T., Kuochen, H., Ho, C. et al. A Stress Condition in Aquifer Rock for Detecting Anomalous Radon Decline Precursory to an Earthquake. Pure Appl. Geophys. 174, 1291–1301 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-016-1461-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-016-1461-2

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