Helium soil-gas variations associated with recent central California earthquakes: Precursor or coincidence?

Decreases in the helium concentration of soil-gas have been observed to precede six of eight recent central California earthquakes. Ten monitoring stations were established near Hollister, California and along the San Andreas Fault to permit gas collection. The data showed decreases occurring a few weeks before the earthquakes and concentrations returned to prequake levels either shortly before or after the earthquakes.