The nature of precursor waves from distant earthquakes

It is shown that, in accordance with the data used when determining velocity distribution in the Earth’s core [14], so called “precursor” earthquakes cannot be produced by wave scattering to lower mantle inhomogeneities, because seismic rays linking the earthquake sources and seismic stations are located in different inner zones of the Earth and travel at different azimuths, producing a stable wave pattern on aggregate. Thus, the present work considers the fundamental problem regarding what precursor earthquakes are. Solution of this problem will guide ideas about the structure of the Earth’s core.     

Temporal variation of soil radon and thoron concentrations in Mizoram (India), associated with earthquakes

Continuous soil-gas radon and thoron measurements were carried out at 15 days interval along Mat fault in Mizoram (India), which lies in the seismic zone V of the seismic zonation map of India. The study was carried out from March 2012 to February 2013 using LR-115 Type II detectors, manufactured by Kodak Pathe, France. The effect of meteorological parameters on radon and thoron data was taken into consideration. The annual average value of radon and thoron concentration was found to be 621.21 and 590.18 Bq/m³ with a standard deviation of 377.60 and 301.34 Bq/m³, respectively. Inverse correlation coefficient was obtained between radon/thoron concentration and the meteorological parameters except in one case (thoron and relative humidity) which showed a weak positive correlation. Standard deviation method was employed in order to differentiate those anomalies which are solely caused by seismic events and not by meteorological parameters. The data obtained have been correlated with the seismic activities that occurred around the measuring site. Positive correlations were found between radon/thoron data and the earthquakes.     

福建水氡对闽台地震的映震分析

利用福建水氡台网 1 990年以来的水氡资料 ,针对 6次福建及其东南沿海大于 4 5级地震 ,7次台湾及其近海大于 6 8级地震进行分析研究 ,认为地震前异常存在加速性、同步性 ,形态的多样性 ,空间分布的不确定性。运用“九五”攻关软件 ,给出上述两区域地震异常特征的共性和个性 ,并对映震效能进行R值评分     

f中氡非稳态运移实验模拟

根据壤中氡非稳态运移模型,通过设计实验,采用自行研制的土壤连续测氡仪,对某地下0.28 m和1.4 m深度处氡浓度进行测量,得到实验数据并拟合图形。研究结果表明,非稳态条件下壤中氡浓度受压强和温度影响随时间呈现周期性变化。氡浓度与压强变化趋势相反,与温度变化趋势一致;温度对氡运移比压强对氡运移的影响大。根据理论值和实测值的拟合情况,平均浓度误差在0.28 m处为-2.01%、在1.4 m处为-8.59%。实验成果表明,理论公式可以用于氡的运移与分布状态的研究。     

Association of subsurface radon changes in Alaska and the northeastern United States with earthquakes

Changes of radon concentration in the ground have been reported to correlate with seismic activity in many places over widely varying distances from the earthquake epicenters, sometimes over 100's and occasionally over 1000's of km depending on the magnitude M of the earthquakes. For proper use of such correlations in forecasting the location and size of impending earthquakes, it would be useful to establish a relation between M and the maximum distance x_M at which radon can be significantly altered by preseismic effects.We have monitored radon in the ground continuously at Blue Mountain Lake, NY starting Dec. 3. 1975 and at three locations in Alaska—Icy Bay, Yakataga, and Sand Point (starting Nov. 12, 1979; March 5, 1980; and June 29, 1980 respectively). Sample correlations from visual examination of the recent radon record and tentative use of a proposed scaling relation show a number of possible earthquake-related signals at these locations. The data are compatible with scaling relations that were derived from two separate models of premonitory elastic strains. In this work x_M = 10^0.48M, where x_M is in units of km and M ≥ 3. Since tilt and strain signals correlate similarly with magnitude and distance, it is likely that most earthquake-related radon signals are mechanically induced.     

基于多重分形理论的土壤水非均匀流动分析

通过显色示踪方法研究了粘土土质、不同边界条件下的非均匀流动模式。20,40,60和80 mm的4组入渗水量条件下流动模式由面积较小的优先流逐步过渡到局部和全局性基质流,采用最大入渗深度分布和实际入渗深度分布对非均匀流动进行了特征,4组试验非均匀流动均具有多重分形性质,多重分形谱与流动非均匀性具有显著的关系,非均匀流动多重分形谱的基本性状由土壤介质性质决定,而流动的非线性主要影响多重分形谱曲线形状。     

土壤氡测量技术在新疆塔什库尔干县地热资源勘查中的应用

土壤氡测量技术是地热地质勘查的一种有效方法,目的是确定隐伏断层和地热流体富集部位。本次笔者在研究区进行了点状网度控制和剖面线状追索两种方法的土壤氡测量工作,野外共采集1904组数据。根据松散堆积地层物质来源的不同,对数据采用了分区和分段处理方法,发现区内不同地层土壤氡值背景有很大差异:变质岩碎屑堆积背景值为392.1 Bq/m3,花岗岩碎屑堆积为1930.2 Bq/m3,正长岩和花岗岩混杂堆积为1571.1 Bq/m3。统计了数据的离散程度,确定了异常下限判断标准,在此基础上分析了区内土壤氡分布特征。研究表明:土壤氡高值分布对隐伏断裂位置和地热异常具有较好的指示意义。     

Correlation of soil radon and uranium with indoor radon in the Albuquerque,New Mexico area

High indoor radon in approximately 30 percent of private dwellings in the Albuquerque, New Mexico area has been reported previously. The present study explains the areas of high indoor radon as a function of different soil and/or bedrock in the area. Soils were sampled during summer and winter periods using alpha track radon detectors. The values range from 40 to 890 pCi/I air at a depth of 38 cm. The gross mean average is 360 pCi/I for the area for summer readings and 200 pCi/I for winter readings; both values are well over the average U.S. soil radon values of approximately 100 pCi/I. Analyses of soil uranium show a range in values of 1–6 ppm, with a mean of 3.1 ppm. Thorium values range from 3.3 to 28.8 ppm, and Th/U ratios range from 2.9 to 4.6.These values for U, Th, and Th/U suggest that soil U and Th are close to the values reported for the Sandia granite, the source of most of the pediment on which Albuquerque is built. Soil infiltration rates range from ~6 × 10^–4 to 4.5 × 10^–3 cm/sec for the samples, and soil moisture content ranges from 1.4 to 7.2 percent. A fair correlation of summer soil radon with infiltration rate is noted. Correlation of soil radon with moisture content and/or with percent silt, silt + clay, clay size fraction material is not established by this study. Soil radon values do correlate with regions in the Albuquerque area where high indoor radon is common. A better correlation of high indoor radon values with soils developed immediately over bedrock is observed. Furthermore, all values of average soil and indoor radon increase significantly with proximity of the stations to the Sandia Mountains. Soil uranium also shows this trend. The data argue that regions of potentially high radon can thus be identified.     

Evidence of precursor phenomena in the Kobe earthquake obtained from atmospheric radon concentration

Atmospheric ²²²Rn concentrations were determined over a 10a period, which included the date of the Kobe, Japan earthquake, on January 17th 1995. It was found that the seismically related ²²²Rn anomaly was higher than the 99% confidence limits for the residual value of atmospheric ²²²Rn which had been observed 2 months before. The residual ²²²Rn concentration, in which residual values of the daily minimum are the difference between each normal ²²²Rn concentration (calculated from January 1984 to December 1993) and the daily minimum ²²²Rn concentration (January 1994 to January 1995), was calculated by applying the exponential smoothing method to the residual values for each day. It was found that the fluctuations of the residual values can be fitted very well to a log-periodic oscillation model. The real residual values stopped increasing at 1994.999 (December 31st 1994), which corresponds with the critical point (t_c) of best fit model. This anomalous ²²²Rn variation can be seen as the result of local stresses, not primary stresses which directly lead to the Kobe earthquake. On the other hand, when the critical exponent (z) and the radial frequency (ω) of the model were simultaneously fixed 0.2 ⩽ z ⩽ 0.6 and 6 ⩽ ω ⩽ 12, t_c (critical point) was between January 13th 1995 and January 27th 1995. The Kobe earthquake occurrence date (January 17th 1995) is within this range. Therefore this anomalous ²²²Rn variation can also be seen as the result of primary stresses which possibly led to the Kobe earthquake. There is a distinct possibility that similar statistical oscillations will be detected in other measurements such as microseismicity, tectonic strain, fluctuation in the ground level, or changes in groundwater elevations and composition.     

一种土壤氡浓度测量的校正方法及其应用

通过对土壤氡浓度测量校正模型的应用和分析,初步建立了根据残留气体的土壤氡浓度校正方法,并在实际应用中论证了方法的可参考性及实用性。     

Determining the spatial scale of variation in soil radon concentration

Increasing concern about possible links between emissions of radon and certain types of malignant disease has led to local and regional surveys to measure radon concentrations in the soil and in dwellings. The spatial scale at which radon varies is largely unknown, and so efficient sampling schemes and methods of mapping cannot be selected. To determine the spatial scale of radon variation in the English Midlands we measured radon in the soil using solid-state nuclear track detection in three areas of different geological complexity. In two of them we used an unbalanced multistage sampling scheme with seven stages of nesting: the Hereford survey covered distances from 10 m to 7.5 km, and the Buxton survey distances from 1 m to 3.75 km. The results from the nested surveys suggested that geology exerts a strong control on the variation. Finally radon was measured every 20 m along a 2-km long transect which crossed several lithologies close to Nottingham. The soil radon values changed in an erratic way along the transect. The sample variogram of radon has a substantial nugget variance, suggesting that much of the variation occurred for distances less than the sampling interval. The structure at the longer scale seems to be controlled by the underlying geology. These results have implications for designing further surveys and for selecting a method of mapping. Stratification based on lithology might be the only feasible solution to sampling, estimating and mapping radon concentrations over large areas. Where the locally erratic component of variation is large, estimation by kriging, for example, would confer little additional benefit compared with that by classification.     

土壤氡测量在马家滩——新上海庙地区砂岩型铀矿勘查中的应用

在鄂尔多斯盆地马家滩-新上海庙地区进行了土壤氡浓度测量的网度试验研究,其结果显示在区域土壤氡测量中,测线线距采用2～3km,同时提出了测区北部苏家井-东湾-鸳鸯湖一带、测量点距为200-400m,可对盆地进行快速评价,中南部石槽村-张家庙子-马家滩一带、中西部碎石井（满闸坑-猫头梁）一带可作为重点成矿区进一步开展研究工作,为该盆地成矿区预测和砂岩型铀矿找矿提供依据。     

Thermal infrared anomalies as a precursor of strong earthquakes in the distant future

Satellite thermal infrared images contain valuable earthquake precursor information. Past studies concluded that such information appeared only a few days or dozens of days before an earthquake would occur. In our study, though, we observed that the time intervals between the thermal infrared precursor and an earthquake??s occurrence can be up to 10?years. An infrared image can also synchronously indicate the locations of additional future earthquakes with different epicenters within a region. The shape, area, intensity, and movement of thermal infrared anomaly areas are a combination of all the future strong earthquakes within a region. These distant future earthquakes are generally located near the edges, endpoints, or corners of the main structure, fine structures or periphery structures of a thermal infrared anomaly area and play a role in confining the anomaly area. There have not been any exceptions among the strong earthquakes we analyzed, which have included the 2011 Japan M _w 9 event, the 2010 Yushu M _S 7.1 event, the 2008 Wenchuan M _S 8 event, and many other strong events following the 2004 Sumatra M _S 9 event. Surprisingly, some of the earthquakes can outline an area of elevated temperature observed many months ago. If we can roughly locate these potential epicenters through the analysis of thermal infrared images and combining the analysis with other information, and then dynamically monitor them, it may be easier to observe the precursor of an earthquake and predict its occurrence.     

土壤氡气测量在鄂尔多斯盆地西缘砂岩型铀矿勘查中的应用

在鄂尔多斯盆地某矿床进行土壤Rn测量条件试验的基础上,对鄂尔多斯盆地西缘研究区进行了区域测量工作。通过对数据处理,划分出5片具有成矿远景的异常区,并对异常进行评价解释,为钻探施工提供了重要的参考依据。研究结果表明,土壤Rn测量方法能够在盆地区域范围内划分出异常区,是一种快速评价砂岩型铀矿化的重要地球化学勘查方法。     

土壤氡测量在温家梁地区砂岩型铀矿勘查中的应用

通过处理温家梁地区土壤氡放射性活度浓度测量数据,划分出土壤氡放射性活度浓度异常范围,在测区内重点成矿预测区圈定了2条EW向土壤氡放射性活度浓度异常带：边家渠—徐家梁—先锋3队—温家湾—皮匠壕和农胜4队—色连3队异常带。证明区域土壤氡放射性活度浓度测量可实现快速评价北方中新生代盆地寻找砂岩型铀矿的目的。     

Transient response of reservoir–dam–soil systems to earthquakes

A direct time-domain numerical procedure is proposed to analyse the transient dynamic response of two-dimensional reservoir–dam–soil systems. The reservoir extends to infinity and the dam is supported by an unbounded soil. The structure with either linear or non-linear material properties is modelled by the Finite Element Method (FEM). The soil is assumed to be an elastic, isotropic and homogeneous half-space represented by a boundary condition in the form of generalized impedance determined by the transient Lamb's solution due to a uniformly distributed traction imposed on the free surface, Guan and Novak.¹ Moreover, a technique is developed to include the influence of the reservoir on the dam in terms of nodal accelerations along their interface at different time steps. The advantages of the proposed procedure are obvious. For example, it avoids any additional discretization of the boundaries except the soil–dam interface, and the influence matrix of the fluid is obtained explicitly using shape functions defined at the upstream face of the dam without the finite analysis of the reservoir so that it works very efficiently. Numerical results for a system consisting of reservoir, elastic dam and foundation subjected to the San Fernando, 1971 earthquake ground motion are presented.     

A guideline for the evaluation of the soil radon potential based on geogenic and anthropogenic parameters

Following a brief review about radon (²²²Rn) in soils, this study gives a compilation and evaluation of important parameters of the soil ²²²Rn potential. Because investigations of the potential are usually limited to rural areas, anthropogenic or urban effects have not attracted much attention so far. Measurements within the densely populated Ruhr district (Germany) present some new insights into geogenic and anthropogenic parameters on the soil ²²²Rn potential. According to their importance, seven parameters were strung in aranking system, which can be applied in both rural and urban areas: made grounds, geology, relief, vegetation cover, tectonics, soil sealing, traffic vibrations. While the first four parameters control the soil ²²²Rn potential on a more regional scale, the last three can modify it locally. Furthermore, an evaluation of the potential within a ten-point-system is proposed. The advantage of the system lies in the possibility to estimate the soil ²²²Rn potential of any site on a local scale. Common classifications and rankings, based on insufficiently scaled maps, can be included in the proposed system.     

The use of soil mercury and radon gas surveys to assist the detection of concealed faults in Fuzhou City, China

Soil gas approaches have been proven useful for detecting buried faults in field survey. How about their applicability in urban area? A trial soil gas survey has been conducted in an attempt to evaluate this in Fuzhou City, Southeastern China. The detection was performed by measuring the adsorbed mercury, free mercury and radon gases in soil in the sites such as crop soil, refilled soil and those with shallow groundwater levels. The resulting distributions show that anomalous concentrations of soil gases over faults are generally two to four times as much as those in the surrounding areas. The locations of peak values of absorbed and free mercury could possibly be applied to assist to determine the trend of faults. The background values of free mercury seems to be more stable and the anomalous zones narrower than those of radon gas, therefore, the free mercury method seems to be good for detection at this area, especially in those sites with shallow groundwater levels. The false gas anomalies may occur in such a site as refilled with external soil, refilled pond and abandoned construction bases.     

Dynamic soil properties and seismic ground response analysis for North Indian seismic belt subjected to the great Himalayan earthquakes

The paper highlights the importance of using site-specific shear modulus reduction (G/G_max versus shear strain, γ) curves and damping ratio (D versus shear strain, γ) curves for ground response analysis. In order to develop comprehensive G/G_max–γ and D–γ curves (i.e. over a wide range of strain level), two types of apparatus, viz. resonant column and cyclic simple shear, have been used. The case study considered the geological deposits from the river beds of Yamuna River originating from the Himalayan seismic zone of North India. The tests results have been analysed to develop G/G_max–γ and D–γ curves and compared with standard curves. It has been observed that upper and lower boundaries for the standard curves are remarkably different for the geological deposit under consideration. In order to assess the impact of using standard curves rather than site-specific curves, ground response analysis has been carried out at five sites along the Yamuna River using two types of curves (standard and site-specific developed in this study). The study showed that the amplification of shear waves at these sites based on the experimentally derived curves is much higher as compared to the standard curves. The proposed curves better represent dynamic behaviour of the soil deposits of the region and will provide a realistic response as far as practically possible, for the structures constructed in the states of Haryana and Delhi and nearby areas. It is anticipated that the data presented in this paper will have wide application and usage.