Monitoring radon emission anomalies at Stromboli Island as a tracer of eruptive events and “near field” earthquakes

¹ Dipartimento di Fisica Sperimentale di Torino, Italy
² Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Torino, Italy
³ DSMP, Università di Torino, Italy
⁴ IFSI-INAF, Sezione di Torino, Italy

Abstract

Radon emission from soil at Stromboli Island has been monitored since 2002 utilizing a network of 25 stations and exposing two kinds of detectors: E-PERM and calibrated track-etches (LR115). We present and discuss the data from 2002 to 2007, thus including the last two major eruptive cycles. Earthquake-volcano interactions were detected providing evidence that radon emissions are somehow related to the occurrence of regional earthquakes. Single deep earthquakes related to active subduction, such as Salina event (M_L = 5.1) of May 5, 2004, may be capable of increasing the ascent of geothermal fluids due to the passage of seismic waves. In addition, we observed major eruptions at Stromboli were preceded by anomalies that occurred at three summit stations that reached values above 20000 Bq m⁻³ : this is considered an anomalous value and could be regarded, under particular environmental conditions, as a potential precursory signal of a change in volcanic activity.