Abstract: We first describe chemical and geochemical characteristics of hydrogen, as well as relations between hydrogen soil vapor concentrations and earthquake events. And then we discusse the possibility of using hydrogen soil vapor monitoring in the vicinity of fault zones to make short/immediate earthquake prediction. Hydrogen (H) is an element with the smallest particle size, the lightest weight, the fastest speed and the most powerful penetration ability. The concentration of hydrogen (H₂) in the atmosphere is very low, only 0.5 ppm. But it is higher in the crust, approximately n～nx10² ppm, which is mainly located at a depth ranging from 5 to 8 km, especially in the fault zones. There are good correlations between Hydrogen concentrations and seismic activities. Noticeable changes of hydrogen concentrations can normally be observed several to tens of days before an earthquake, and the ratio of signal to noise is very high. Recently, the successful development of a new digital hydrogen detecting instrument (ATG-6118H) makes continuous monitoring of hydrogen possible. We present some experimental observation results and propose to establish a large scale hydrogen monitoring network along some fault zones.

Key words: Hydrogen Soil Vapor (H₂), Fault Zone, Monitoring Network, Short/Immediate Earthquake Prediction