Gas radon emission related to geodynamic activity on Mt. Etna

Abstract

We report preliminary observations on possible correlations between anomalies of subsoil radon concentration and geodynamical events on Mt. Etna. In recent years several studies have been carried out on radon as a precursor of geophysical events, most of them performed either on tectonic or volcanic areas. The peculiarity of our investigation lies on the choice of the etnean region, in which tectonic and volcanic features are both present. In order to characterize Mt. Etna features by investigating radon gas in soil, two stations were located along the NE-SW direction on Mt. Etna. Each of the two stations is fitted with a radon detector, a 3D seismic station and a meteorological station. Differences in the radon concentration trend in the data from north and south flanks could be linked to different faulting mechanisms and then to different mechanisms of radon uprising. The increase in soil radon concentration could be related to both seismic and volcanic events.