Radon concentration anomaly characteristics in the North–South seismic belt before strong earthquake

¹ Gansu Earthquake Agency, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China;
² Lanzhou National Geophysical Observation and Research Station, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China;

^* Corresponding author e-mail: suxy@gsdzj.gov.cn

Abstract

Seismic underground fluids play an important role in earthquake prediction studies and tracking. Nearly 30 years of radon concentration monitoring data at 42 observation sites in the North–South seismic belt (22°-35° N, 100°-110° E) were collected from the National Earthquake Data Center of China Earthquake Networks Center. The possible precursor anomalies of observed radon concentration in the belt before several strong earthquakes were investigated and their spatial distribution, evolution, and variation characteristics were analyzed. The results showed that radon concentration precursor anomalies before several strong earthquakes were high, and the morphological characteristics are relatively complex. The anomaly mainly shows the turning point or accelerating change of trend background change; longer anomaly durations tend to be concentrated around epicenters. The number of observation points with anomalies was positively correlated with the proximity to the epicenter; the measurement points closest to the epicenter exhibited earlier trend anomalies. The research has important practical significance and scientific value for understanding the relationship between radon concentration anomaly and strong earthquake.