RADON FLUX DENSITY AT THE EARTH'S SURFACE AS A POSSIBLE INDICATOR OF THE STRESS AND STRAIN STATE OF THE GEOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

Usage of the radon flux density at the Earth’s surface as an indicator of seismic activity is proposed in addition to unit-volume radon activity in the soil air that has previously been used for this purpose. Numerical calculations based on the diffusion-convection equation for radon transport in porous media are presented, which confirm that the radon flux density is more sensitive to changes in convection rate than unit-volume radon activity. It has been indicated that the advantage in using radon flux density could be greatest for homogeneous geological media.