THE ROLE OF SEMICONDUCTING CAPACITORS IN EARTHQUAKE PREDICTION AND PROTECTION OF DEEP REPOSITORIES AND OTHER STRUCTURES

摘要

In this paper semi-conducting capacitors which are a kind of natural electrical capacitors are introduced and used to measure electrical resistivity, and electrical and magnetic fields of an area in order to predict future periodic earthquakes. Protection of deep repositories and other structures against earthquakes are also discussed in the paper. In the nature, rocks act as semi-conducting capacitors and their crystals act as their plates. Laboratory experiments show that a part of natural decay radiations in an area are usually absorbed by the rocks' crystals and are restored in them as electrical charges. These energies cause changes in geomagnetic and electrical fields, potential difference and electrical resistivity of the area. Therefore, before an earthquake occurs in a certain area, the earth resistivity decreases and magnetic and electrical fields increase. When the amount of restored electrical energy reaches to 60 to 100 mv per meter (which is called critical potential difference) the rocks' crystals can not tolerate these voltages and begin to vibrate and discharge the restored energy, and as a consequence, the periodic earthquake occurs in the area. Studies have shown that only electrical energy can vibrate the rock and other types of energies (e.g., mechanical energy) can cause shaking or movement in the rock but can not vibrate them. This shows that a periodic earthquake has an electrical source. Natural decay radiations produce all types of precursors such as mechanical, electrical, sonic, ultrasonic, biological, climatic, radioactive, magnetic, chemical, luminance, thermal, etc. Some of these precursors appear before, some after, and some during earthquakes at the epicentral area. Extensive activities have been made on earthquake prediction in several countries. Some predictions have been successful to a great extend. However, many predictions have not been quite accurate. At the same time, current methods of predictions are quite costly. A new method of earthquake prediction entitled "Kiana Method" was introduced in the previous SMiRT conferences. According to this method, periodic earthquakes can be predicted by measuring the electrical resistance in a certain area. This method is quite simple and much less costly comparing to other methods. The hypocenter of most periodic earthquakes is located in the depth of 8 to 12 kilometers of the earth crust. The types of earth crust materials in this depth are Granite in continental crust and Basalt in oceanic crust. Since our main interest is to predict earthquakes in the continents, then Granite will be used as a semi-conducting capacitor to measure the required parameters. In order to a periodic earthquake occur in an area, the following conditions should exist: 1 - There should be enough amount of decay due to radiations. 2- Restored energy in rocks should be discharged by means of critical potential difference shocks. 3- The rocks' crystals must be young and undeformed. However, the followings should be noted: 1- The above conditions do not meet in stable areas. Therefore, earthquakes do not usually occur in such areas, while in unstable areas (such as boundaries of seismic belts), these conditions do exist and therefore, earthquakes occur in those areas. 2- In regions where all these conditions meet, but there are significant amount of petroleum and natural gas mines (such as Canada and Siberia lands), earthquakes usually do not occur. 3- Using artificial organic materials in deep repositories protect them against earthquakes and prevent the decay radiations to affect underground water and environment. 4- In regions where rocks are old and their crystals are deformed (e.g., England), the half life of decay elements have normally ended and earthquake occurrences are not expected.