Radon Flux Variations as Earthquake Precursors

Scientific research leading to the successful prediction of large earthquakes, sufficiently in advance, has great significance to mankind. Unfortunately, to this date, no reliable method has been developed for the successful application of earthquake prediction based on a geological scale, when applied to a human scale; the latter requires precise timing, location and intensity, factors not easily defined geologically. Major, erratic changes in Radon concentration have been observed in many earthquake-prone zones a few months/days before, during and after a large earthquake. It is tempting to consider a sudden erratic fluctuation in Radon concentration as a potential signal for an earthquake. Here, a refinement of the Radon precursor method is proposed, based on results from a network of twelve multiple, synchronous underground monitoring stations.