Radon anomalies in water sources in Hatay region after the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake

In this study, we have investigated possible radon anomalies caused by the Pazarcık and Elbistan earthquakes (7.7 and 7.6 Mw) and their aftershocks that occurred on February 6, 2023 in Turkey. Radon activity measurements of groundwater samples taken from 9 water sources between March 17 and June 25, 2023 were carried out in certain periods with the AlphaGUARD radon detector. During this measurement period, the radon activity observed in two water sources changed by approximately 5-times between the measurements. These significant changes in the radon activity may be related to the seismic activity in the region. The radon anomalies observed in these water sources may be of use in predicting possible future earthquakes to occur in the region.