Dynamics of radon activity due to earthquakes (by the example of Altai seismically active region)

Abstract

The results of monitoring radon emanations in the territory of Gorno-Altaisk due to seismic activity and their influence on human health are considered. It is shown that the level of activity of subsoil radon in the vicinity of the fault zone in the territory of Gorno-Altaisk exceeds such a level recorded in Moscow by 3–4 times. There is ambiguity in the behavior of radon as a precursor of a seismic event. Some radon anomalies are synchronous with moments of earthquakes and others correspond to quiet periods. The radon activity is more closely associated with the earthquakes localized in the aftershock zone of the Chuya earthquake. This is assumed to be caused by the network of fluid-conducting channels within the active fault between this region and the observation station.