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Tsuchiya M, Nagahama H, Muto J, Hirano M, Yasuoka Y. Detection of atmospheric radon concentration anomalies and their potential for earthquake prediction using Random Forest analysis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11626. [PMID: 38821969 PMCID: PMC11143197 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61887-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Various anomalies occurring before earthquakes are currently being studied to predict seismic events, with one of them being the radioactive element radon (222Rn). Radon concentrations in the soil, water, and atmosphere fluctuate in response to crustal movement. Recent research has statistically detected anomalies by analyzing the fluctuations in radon concentrations before earthquakes and conducting quantitative evaluations of radon. However, the method used to determine the parameters in the analysis was problematic. Therefore, in this study, we compared observed atmospheric radon concentration data with predicted values based on typical annual patterns using Random Forest analysis. We conducted a more objective analysis by employing this method and statistically determining anomalies using thresholds. This analysis was conducted using atmospheric radon concentration observation data obtained at Kobe Pharmaceutical University (KPU) before the 1995 Kobe Earthquake, and ionization currents emitted when radon decays were obtained at Fukushima Medical University (FMU) before the 2011 Tohoku-oki Earthquake. Consequently, before the major earthquakes occurred at both locations, the difference between the predicted and observed values exceeded the standard deviation by a factor of three. These results indicate the potential of Random Forest analysis to identify anomalies in atmospheric radon concentrations before earthquakes occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayu Tsuchiya
- Department of Earth Science, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan.
| | - Hiroyuki Nagahama
- Department of Earth Science, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Jun Muto
- Department of Earth Science, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Mitsuhiro Hirano
- School of Engineering, Utsunomiya University, 7-1-2 Yoto, Utsunomiya, 321-8585, Japan
| | - Yumi Yasuoka
- Radioisotope Research Center, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, 4-19-1 Motoyamakitamachi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, 658-8558, Japan
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Galiana-Merino JJ, Molina S, Kharazian A, Toader VE, Moldovan IA, Gómez I. Analysis of Radon Measurements in Relation to Daily Seismic Activity Rates in the Vrancea Region, Romania. SENSORS 2022; 22:s22114160. [PMID: 35684781 PMCID: PMC9185632 DOI: 10.3390/s22114160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Many previous research studies have shown how local and even regional earthquakes can significantly affect the release of radon in the soil. The aim of this work is to investigate the relationship between radon measurements and the daily seismic activity rate and develop a methodology that allows estimating the seismic activity rate using only radon measurements. To carry out this study, the earthquake catalogue of the Vrancea region (Romania) has been used to estimate the daily seismic activity rate during a given time period, in which radon measurements were also recorded, from January 2016 to September 2020. The Vrancea zone represents the most active seismic zone in Europe and is located on the eastern edge of the strongly bent Carpathian arc. In the case of the radon measurements, seasonal behaviours and linear trends due to non-seismic factors have been identified and subsequently removed. The discrete wavelet transform has been used to analyse the radon signal at two different scales: long and short periods. From the analysis carried out on a long-period scale, an approximate linear relationship has been obtained between the radon series and the daily seismic activity rate, which provides insights into the behaviour of the seismic activity in the study region with only the radon information. In addition, the study reveals certain characteristics that could be used as precursors of earthquakes at different scales: weeks in the case of the estimated daily seismic activity rate, and days in the case of the short-period signal obtained by the wavelet analysis. The results obtained for this region allow us to hope that the analysis of the radon time series can become an effective complement to the conventional seismic analysis used in operational earthquake forecasting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan José Galiana-Merino
- Department of Physics, Systems Engineering and Signal Theory, University of Alicante, Crta. San Vicente del Raspeig, s/n, 03080 Alicante, Spain
- University Institute of Physics Applied to Sciences and Technologies, University of Alicante, Crta. San Vicente del Raspeig, s/n, 03080 Alicante, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-965-909636
| | - Sergio Molina
- Department of Applied Physics, University of Alicante, Crta. San Vicente del Raspeig, s/n, 03080 Alicante, Spain; (S.M.); (I.G.)
- Multidisciplinary Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Alicante, Crta. San Vicente del Raspeig, s/n, 03080 Alicante, Spain;
| | - Alireza Kharazian
- Multidisciplinary Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Alicante, Crta. San Vicente del Raspeig, s/n, 03080 Alicante, Spain;
| | - Victorin-Emilian Toader
- National Institute for Earth Physics, Calugareni 12, RO 077125 Magurele, Romania; (V.-E.T.); (I.-A.M.)
| | - Iren-Adelina Moldovan
- National Institute for Earth Physics, Calugareni 12, RO 077125 Magurele, Romania; (V.-E.T.); (I.-A.M.)
| | - Igor Gómez
- Department of Applied Physics, University of Alicante, Crta. San Vicente del Raspeig, s/n, 03080 Alicante, Spain; (S.M.); (I.G.)
- Multidisciplinary Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Alicante, Crta. San Vicente del Raspeig, s/n, 03080 Alicante, Spain;
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Gutiérrez-Álvarez I, Guerrero JL, Martín JE, Adame JA, Vargas A, Bolívar JP. Radon transport events associated with the impact of a NORM repository in the SW of Europe. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 289:117963. [PMID: 34426198 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Two radon measurement stations located to the north and south of a NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials) repository of phosphogypsum (southwest of Europe) were used to monitor radon behavior during 2018. The stations are located at opposing sides of the repository, one in Huelva City to the north and other one in a rural area to the south. This setup aimed to identify the influence of the NORM repository on each station and use radon levels as a marker of atmospheric transport in the local area. To achieve this, a comparison was carried out with other coastal stations in the south of Spain, finding higher average concentrations in Huelva City, ~3.3 Bq m-3. Hierarchical clustering was applied to identify days with different radon patterns at each Huelva station, detecting possible local radon transport events from the repository. Three events were investigated with WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) and FLEXPART-WRF (FLEXible PARTicle dispersion model). It was found that both sampling sites required atmospheric stagnant conditions to reach high radon concentration. However, under these conditions the urban station showed high radon regardless of wind direction while the rural station also required radon transport from the repository, either directly or indirectly.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Gutiérrez-Álvarez
- Integrated Sciencies Department, University of Huelva, Spain; Research Centre of Natural Resources, Health and the Environment (RENSMA), University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain.
| | - J L Guerrero
- Integrated Sciencies Department, University of Huelva, Spain; Research Centre of Natural Resources, Health and the Environment (RENSMA), University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | - J E Martín
- Integrated Sciencies Department, University of Huelva, Spain; Research Centre of Natural Resources, Health and the Environment (RENSMA), University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | - J A Adame
- Atmospheric Sounding Station - El Arenosillo, Atmospheric Research and Instrumentation Branch. National Institute for Aerospace Technology, INTA, Mazagón, Huelva, Spain
| | - A Vargas
- Institute of Energy Technologies, Technical University of Catalonia, Spain
| | - J P Bolívar
- Integrated Sciencies Department, University of Huelva, Spain; Research Centre of Natural Resources, Health and the Environment (RENSMA), University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
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Muto J, Yasuoka Y, Miura N, Iwata D, Nagahama H, Hirano M, Ohmomo Y, Mukai T. Preseismic atmospheric radon anomaly associated with 2018 Northern Osaka earthquake. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7451. [PMID: 33811241 PMCID: PMC8018951 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86777-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the challenges in identifying earthquake precursors in intraplate (inland) earthquakes, various hydrological and geochemical measurements have been conducted to establish a possible link to seismic activities. Anomalous increases in radon (222Rn) concentration in soil, groundwater, and atmosphere have been reported prior to large earthquakes. Although the radon concentration in the atmosphere is lower than that in groundwater and soils, a recent statistical analysis has suggested that the average atmospheric concentration over a relatively wide area reflects crustal deformation. However, no study has sought to determine the underlying physico-chemical relationships between crustal deformation and anomalous atmospheric radon concentrations. Here, we show a significant decrease in the atmospheric radon concentration temporally linked to the seismic quiescence before the 2018 Northern Osaka earthquake occurring at a hidden fault with complex rupture dynamics. During seismic quiescence, deep-seated sedimentary layers in Osaka Basin, which might be the main sources of radon, become less damaged and fractured. The reduction in damage leads to a decrease in radon exhalation to the atmosphere near the fault, causing the preseismic radon decrease in the atmosphere. Herein, we highlight the necessity of continuous monitoring of the atmospheric radon concentration, combined with statistical anomaly detection method, to evaluate future seismic risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Muto
- Department of Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan.
| | - Yumi Yasuoka
- Radioisotope Research Center, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, 4-19-1 Motoyamakita-machi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, 658-8558, Japan
| | - Nao Miura
- Radioisotope Research Center, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, 4-19-1 Motoyamakita-machi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, 658-8558, Japan
| | - Daichi Iwata
- Department of Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Nagahama
- Department of Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Mitsuhiro Hirano
- Department of Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Yoshiro Ohmomo
- Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-20-1 Nasahara Takatuki-shi, Osaka, 569-1094, Japan
| | - Takahiro Mukai
- Radioisotope Research Center, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, 4-19-1 Motoyamakita-machi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, 658-8558, Japan.,Laboratory of Biophysical Chemistry, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, 4-19-1 Motoyamakita-machi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, 658-8558, Japan
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Kikaj D, Vaupotič J. EFFECTIVE DOSES DUE TO OUTDOOR AND INDOOR RADON AT A MEDITERRANEAN SITE. RADIATION PROTECTION DOSIMETRY 2019; 187:215-219. [PMID: 31165887 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncz155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 05/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
A year-long continuous measurement of the radon activity concentration in the outdoor air at a Mediterranean site has shown a range of 2-144 Bq m-3 and annual mean of 18 ± 14 Bq m-3. Seasonal means were: 15 ± 10 Bq m-3 in winter, 15 ± 12 Bq m-3 in spring, 22 ± 19 Bq m-3 in summer and 17 ± 12 Bq m-3 in autumn. In summer, the average radon activity concentration in the daytime (6-22 h) was 15.2 Bq m-3 and in the night-time (22-6 h) 33.4 Bq m-3. The annual effective dose was 1.83 mSv, with 1.66 mSv from indoor and 0.17 mSv (9%) from outdoor radon. The related doses for the summertime were (mSv): 0.29, 0.24 and 0.05 (18%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Dafina Kikaj
- Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Janja Vaupotič
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Iwata D, Nagahama H, Muto J, Yasuoka Y. Non-parametric detection of atmospheric radon concentration anomalies related to earthquakes. Sci Rep 2018; 8:13028. [PMID: 30158564 PMCID: PMC6115410 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31341-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Anomalous phenomena related to earthquakes have been studied to aid in the forecasting of large earthquakes. Radon (222Rn) concentration changes are known to be one of those phenomena. Many studies have quantified radon anomalies to identify physical aspects of radon emanations related to earthquakes. Here, we apply singular spectrum transformation, non-parametric analysis to estimate change points in time series, to atmospheric radon concentration. From 10 years of data from continuous observation of the atmospheric radon concentration over northeastern Japan and Hokkaido, we identify anomalies in the atmospheric radon concentration related to the moment releases of large earthquakes. Compared with a conventional model-based method, the singular spectrum transformation method identifies more anomalies. Moreover, we also find that change points in the atmospheric radon concentration prior to the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake (Mw 9.0; 11 Mar. 2011, N38.1°, E142.9°) coincided with periods of other anomalous precursory phenomena. Our results indicate that singular spectrum transformation can be used to detect anomalies in atmospheric radon concentration related to the occurrences of large earthquakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daichi Iwata
- Department of Earth Science, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Hiroyuki Nagahama
- Department of Earth Science, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Jun Muto
- Department of Earth Science, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yumi Yasuoka
- Radioisotope Research Center, Department of Pharmacy, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe, Japan
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Goto M, Yasuoka Y, Nagahama H, Muto J, Omori Y, Ihara H, Mukai T. Anomalous changes in atmospheric radon concentration before and after the 2011 northern Wakayama Earthquake (Mj 5.5). RADIATION PROTECTION DOSIMETRY 2017; 174:412-418. [PMID: 27412515 PMCID: PMC5423104 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncw142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Revised: 05/21/2016] [Accepted: 05/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
A significant increase in atmospheric radon concentration was observed in the area around the epicentre before and after the occurrence of the shallow inland earthquake in the northern Wakayama Prefecture on 5 July 2011 (Mj 5.5, depth 7 km) in Japan. The seismic activity in the sampling site was evaluated to identify that this earthquake was the largest near the sampling site during the observation period. To determine whether this was an anomalous change, the atmospheric daily minimum radon concentration measured for a 13-year period was analysed. When the residual radon concentration values without the seasonal radon variation and the linear trend was > 3 standard deviations of the residual radon variation corresponding to the normal period, the values were deemed as anomalous. As a result, an anomalous increase in radon concentration was determined before and after the earthquake. In conclusion, anomalous change related to earthquakes with at least Mj 5.5 can be detected by monitoring atmospheric radon near the epicentre.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikako Goto
- Department of Biophysical Chemistry, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, 4-19-1 Motoyamakitamachi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo 658-8558, Japan
| | - Yumi Yasuoka
- Institute of Radioisotope Research, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, 4-19-1 Motoyamakitamachi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo 658-8558, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Nagahama
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aza Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan
| | - Jun Muto
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aza Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan
| | - Yasutaka Omori
- Department of Radiation Physics and Chemistry, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Hayato Ihara
- Radioisotope Laboratory Center, Wakayama Medical University School of Medicine, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama City, Wakayama 641-8509, Japan
| | - Takahiro Mukai
- Department of Biophysical Chemistry, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, 4-19-1 Motoyamakitamachi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo 658-8558, Japan
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