Radon Monitoring Data in Taiwan: Statistical Perspective to Investigate Earthquake Precursory Studies

The field of earthquake prediction presents significant challenges, with effective prediction techniques are still elusive. Taiwan’s high seismicity is due to the collision of the Philippine Sea plate with the Eurasian plate, leading to frequent earthquakes every year. To address challenges in analyzing pre-earthquake strain transfer, number of radon monitoring stations were established across various tectonic zones. Using open-source software a Real-Time Database was developed for radon earthquake precursory research and tested for some major earthquakes occurred in Taiwan. This database enables faster processing of precursor data, hence, enhancing the efficiency related investigations.

Notably, large earthquakes, such as Meinong earthquake in Southern Taiwan, exhibited precursory signals in radon concentrations, with significant variations observed in soil radon concentrations about two weeks prior. The study suggests that variations in soil radon concentrations at different locations may help in predicting the general area of impending major earthquakes. Finding  from research indicates that soil-gas anomalies were associated with few earthquakes with a magnitude of 5 or more that were recorded during the study period. Stress accumulation and changes in strain fields prior to seismic events  are likely linked to these variations in soil radon levels.

Overall, soil radon measurements have emerged as a promising and practical tool  for investigating earthquake precursors in Taiwan. However, further research and validation are essential to refine these findings and advance the development of reliable earthquake prediction method.