Radon anomaly as a potentially powerful precursor in earthquake prediction

Radon anomaly is one of the strongest precursors of seismic activities leading to disastrous earthquake. With recent series of earthquakes in the Himalayan region, there is a renewed interest in forecasting such events. It is believed that monitoring of radon concentration along and across the active geological faults might provide us significantly clear signals as forerunner of the impending earthquake, which may be used to save precious lives and loss of property. A brief review of the concept, techniques and some promising results on the future possibilities of utilizing radon anomalies in earthquake prediction will be presented and discussed. (author)