The experimental investigation of soil gas radon migration mechanisms and its implication in earthquake forecast

Geofluids - Tập 10 Số 4 - Trang 556-563 - 2010
L. L. Chyi1, T. Quick1, Tsanyao Frank Yang2, C. H. Chen2
1Department of Geology and Environmental Science University of Akron Akron OH USA
2Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

Tóm tắt

Abstract

Laboratory experiments were performed to help understand the fluctuations and the spike‐like anomalies of Rn in a time series that was recorded continuously at monitoring stations. One of the experiments indicated that Rn is adsorbed on the surface of sand particles and can be liberated with minor changes in the physical conditions of the containing medium. Another experiment indicated that the liberation of ultra‐trace Rn, adsorbed on the surface of sand, was not very sensitive to small temperature and pressure changes but was responsive to the flow of carrier gases. Among the carrier gases tested, CO2 was preferred because it has a boiling point similar to that of Rn. However, all other gases that are inert to Rn can also be carrier gases. Temperature variation in the supra soil layer can be measured fairly accurately inside double‐insulated PVC pipes that also house the Rn detecting system. Temperature variation appears to be related to localized strain heating that is a part of the earthquake energy variation cycle. Up‐flow of soil gas, caused by the strain heating, induced the sudden release of Rn, which thus appears as a spike‐like anomaly. The migration of soil gases is expected to follow the thermal cycle corresponding to each earthquake cycle. Therefore, the spike‐like anomalies can be used, in conjunction with the temperature variation cycle, as time markers to forecast the time, place, and magnitude of a coming earthquake.

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