A Correlation Assessment of 222Rn Gas Measurements from the East Anatolian Fault Zone

Abstract

Factors affecting the diffusion of radon (222Rn) gas from the soil to the atmosphere have been examined in many studies. 222Rn gas emission depends on the geological structure and meteorological parameters of a given region, and 222Rn gas concentration is one of the precursors of earthquakes. In addition, it is an important gas in terms of health, because it can cause lung cancer. In this study, comprehensive statistical analyses of 222Rn data was carried out on soil samples obtained from 16 stations located in the East Anatolian Fault Zone (EAFZ) in Turkey, and the 222Rn characteristics of the region were investigated. A daily average of the data was taken between 2007 and 2010. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to determine whether 222Rn emissions in the study area varied according to the year and the station. Binary comparisons were made by grouping the 222Rn data measured at the stations annually and significant results were obtained.

Keywords

• Rn-222
• Radon Anomaly
• East Anatolian Fault Zone
• EAFZ

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