The Large Detector as an Indicator of Radon Field Variations Before the Earthquakes in Central Italy, Greece, Turkey, Aegean and Mediterranean Seas

M.Aglietta,16 B.Alpat,13 E.D. Alvea,7 P.Antonioli,1 G.Badino,16 G.Bari,1 M.Basile,1 V.S.Berezinsky,10 F.Bersani,1 M.Bertaina,16R.Bertoni,16 G.Bonoli,1 A.Bosco,2 G.Bruni,1 G.Cara Romco,1 C.Castagnoli,16 A.Castellina,16 A.Chiavassa,16 J.A.Chinellato3 L.Cifarelli,1 F.Condolo,1 G.Conforto,17 A.Contin,1 V.L.Dadykin,10 A.De.Silva,2 M.Deutsch,8 P.Dominici, 17 L.G. Dos Santos,3 L.Emaldi,1 R.I.Enikeev,10, F.L.Fabbri,4 W.Fulgione,16 P.Galeotti,16 C.Ghetti,1 P.Ghia,16 P.Giusti,1 R.Granella,16 F.Grianti,1 G.Guidi,17 E.S.Hafen,8 P.Haridas,8 G.Iacobucci,1 N.Inoue,14 E.Kemp,3 F.F.Khalchukov,10 E.V.Korolkova,10 P.V.Korchaguin,10 V.B.Korchaguin,10 V.A.Kudryavtsev,10 K.Lau,6 M.Luvisetto,1 G.Maccarone,4 A.S.Malguin,10 R.Mantovani, 17 T.Massam,1 B.Mayes,6 A.Megna,17 C.Melagrana,16 N.Mengotti Silva,3 C.Morelle,16 J.Moromisato,9 R.Nania,1 G.Navarra,16 L.Panaro,16 L.Periale,16 A.Pesci,1 P.Picchi,16 L.Pinsky 6I.A.Pless, 8 J.Pyrlik,6 V.G.Reasny,10 O.G.Ryazhskaya,10 O.Saavedra,16 K.Saitoh,15 S.Santini,17 G.Sartorelli,1 M.Selvi,1 N.Taborgna,5 V.P.Talochkin,10 J.Tang,8 G.C.Trinchero,16 S.Tsuji,11 ATurtelli,3 I.Uman,13 P.Vallania,16 G.Van Buren,8 S.Vernetto,16 F.Vetrano,17 C.Vigorito,16 E.von Goeler,9 L.Votano,4 T.Wada,11 R.Weinstein,6 M.Widgoff,2 V.F. Yakushev,10 I.Yamamoto,12 G.T.Zatsepin,10 and A.Zichichi1. LVD Collaboration 1University of Bologna and INFN-Bologna, Bologna, Italy 2Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 3University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil 4INFN-LNF, Frascati, Italy 5INFN-LNGS, Assergi, Italy 6University of Houston, Houston, Texas 7Indiana, University, Bloomington Indiana 8Massachusetts, Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachussetts 9Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 10Institute for Nuclear Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia 11Okayama University, Okayama, Japan 12Okayama University of Science, Okayama, Japan 13University of Perugia and INPN-Perugia, Perugia, Italy 14Saitama University, Saitama, Japan 15Ashikaga Institute of Technology, Ashikaga, Japan 16Inst-Cosmo-Geophysics, CNR, Torino, University of Torino and INFN-Torino, Italy Torino, Italy 17UniversityofUrbino and INFN-Firenze, Firenze, Italy 18Branch of Kurchatov Instituteof Atomic Energy (TRINITI) The data on a series of earthquakes in North-East Mediterranean are presented here. Radon field variations were measured in an underground laboratory located in a tunnel under the Gran Sasso mountain in Central Italy near the Apennines great transversal fault. The area is injected through the surface of an underground cave where the installation is mounted. The variations of radon concentration in cave atmosphere were monitored with the 400-ton scintillation detector LVD (Large Volume Detector). Radon is one of background sources under study in the field of the astrophysics and cosmic ray physics. The method used is the detection of gamma-radiation from radon group nuclei. The vast surface area through which y- quanta penetrate into the counters (about 600 m2) provided high statistic reliability of results obtained. The earthquakes with the magnitude from M=3.8 to 7.0 having epicenters in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Aegean and Mediterranean Seas in the second half-year of 1997 and 1999 have been chosen for the analysis. Those earthquakes propagated in complex tectonic structures, including zones of compression and tension. The earthquakes resulted in radon field changes in Central Italy, which proves the uniform deformation structure of this vast geotectonic region.