SpringerLink
Log in

Possible Short-Term Precursors of Strong Crustal Earthquakes in Japan based on Data from the Ground Stations of Vertical Ionospheric Sounding

  • Published:
Geomagnetism and Aeronomy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We have studied changes in the ionosphere prior to strong crustal earthquakes with magnitudes of М ≥ 6.5 based on the data from the ground-based stations of vertical ionospheric sounding Kokobunji, Akita, and Wakkanai for the period 1968–2004. The data are analyzed based on hourly measurements of the virtual height and frequency parameters of the sporadic E layer and critical frequency of the regular F2 layer over the course of three days prior to the earthquakes. In the studied intervals of time before all earthquakes, anomalous changes were discovered both in the frequency parameters of the Es and F2 ionospheric layers and in the virtual height of the sporadic E layer; the changes were observed on the same day at stations spaced apart by several hundred kilometers. A high degree of correlation is found between the lead-time of these ionospheric anomalies preceding the seismic impact and the magnitude of the subsequent earthquakes. It is concluded that such ionospheric disturbances can be short-term ionospheric precursors of earthquakes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price includes VAT (Germany)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Dobrovolsky, I.P., Zubkov, S.I., and Miachkin, V.I., Estimation of the size of earthquake preparation zones, Pure Appl. Geophys., 1979, vol. 117, no. 5, pp. 1025–1044.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaivoronskaya, T.V. and Zelenova, T.I., Influence of seismic activity on critical frequencies of the F2 layer, Fiz. Zemli, 1990, no. 9, pp. 52–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hegai, V.V., Legenka, A.D., and Kim, V.P., Unusual enhancement of ionospheric F2 layer critical frequency before the 23 August 2011 Virginia (USA) earthquake, Open Trans. Geosci. (GEOS), 2014, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 39–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heki, K., Ionospheric electron enhancement preceding the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake, Geophys. Res. Lett., 2011, vol. 38, L17312. doi 10.1029/2011GL047908

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hobara, Y. and Parrot, M., Ionospheric perturbation in association with seismic activity. A statistical study, in XXVII General Assembly of the International Union of Radio Science, Commission E URSI GA2002 Oral and Poster Sessions, Maastricht, 2002, EGH P.10(570). http://www.ursi.org/Proceedings/ProcGA02/papers/p0570.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobara, Y. and Parrot, M., Ionospheric perturbations linked to a very powerful seismic event, J. Atmos. Sol.-Terr. Phys., 2005, vol. 67, no. 7, pp. 677–685. doi 10.1016/j.jastp.2005.02.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klotz, S. and Johnson, N.L., Encyclopedia of Statistical Sciences, New Jersey: John Wiley, Hoboken, 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  • Korsunova, L.P. and Khegai, V.V., Medium-term ionospheric precursors to strong earthquakes, Int. J. Geomagn. Aeron, 2006, GI3005. doi 10.1029/2005GI000122

    Google Scholar 

  • Korsunova, L.P. and Khegai, V.V., Analysis of seismoionospheric disturbances at the chain of Japanese stations for vertical sounding of the ionosphere, Geomagn. Aeron. (Engl. Transl.), 2008, vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 392–399.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korsunova, L.P. and Hegai, V.V., Ionospheric precursors of crustal earthquakes in the northwestern part of the Asia-Pacific seismic belt, Open Trans. Geosci. (GEOS), 2014, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 25–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korsunova, L.P. and Hegai, V.V., Efwfectiveness criteria for methods of identifying ionospheric earthquake precursors by parameters of a sporadic E-layer and regular F2-layer, J. Astron. Space Sci., 2015, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 137–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kratkosrochnyi prognoz katastroficheskikh zemletryasenii s pomoshch’yu radiofizicheskikh nazemno-kosmicheskikh metodov (Short-Term Forecast of Catastrophic Earthquakes with Radiophysical Space–Terrestrial Methods), Strakhov, V.N. and Liperovskii, V.A., Eds., Moscow: OIFZ RAN, 1999.

  • Liperovskaya, E.V., Pokhotelov, O.A., Oleinik, M.A., Alimov, O.A., Pavlova, S.S., and Khakimova, M., Some effects in the sporadic E-layer of the ionosphere before earthquakes, Fiz. Zemli, 1994, no. 11, pp. 86–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liperovskii, V.A., Pokhotelov, O.A., and Shalimov, S.L., Ionosfernye predvestniki zemletryasenii (Ionospheric Precursors of Earthquakes), Moscow: Nauka, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, J.Y., Chen, Y.I., Chuo, Y.J., and Chen, C.S., A statistical investigation of pre-earthquake ionospheric anomaly, J. Geophys. Res., 2006, vol. 111, A05304. doi 10.1029/2005JA011333

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parrot, M., Berthelier, J.J., Lebreton, J.P., Sauvaud, J.A., Santolik, O., and Blecki, J., Examples of unusual ionospheric observations made by the DEMETER satellite over seismic regions, Phys. Chem. Earth. Parts A/B/C, 2006, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 486–495. doi 10.1016/j.pce.2006.02.011.2006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perevalova, N.P., Sankov, V.A., Astafyeva, E.I., and Zhupityaeva, A.S., Threshold magnitude for ionospheric TEC response to earthquakes, J. Atmos. Sol.-Terr. Phys., 2014, vol. 108, pp. 77–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jastp.2013.12.014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perrone, L., Korsunova, L.P., and Mikhailov, A.V., Ionospheric precursors for crustal earthquakes in Italy, Ann. Geophys., 2010, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 941–950.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pulinets, S.A. and Boyarchuk, K.A., Ionospheric Precursors of Earthquakes, Berlin: Springer, 2004.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarkar, S., Gwal, A.K., and Parrot, M., Ionospheric variations observed by the DEMETER satellite in the midlatitude region during strong earthquakes, J. Atmos. Sol.-Terr. Phys., 2007, vol. 69, no. 13, pp. 1524–1540.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saroso, S., Liu, J.Y., Hattori, K., and Chen, C.H., Ionospheric GPS TEC anomalies and M = 5.9 earthquakes in Indonesia during 1993–2002, Terr. Atmos. Ocean. Sci., 2008, vol. 19, no. 5, pp. 481–488. doi 10.3319/TAO.2008.19.5.481(T)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • **a, C., Yang, S., Xu, G., Zhao, B., and Yu, T., Ionospheric anomalies observed by GPS TEC prior to the Qinghai Tibet region earthquakes, Terr. Atmos. Ocean. Sci., 2011, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 177–185. doi 10.3319/TAO.2010.08.13.01(TibXS)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zakharenkova, I.E., Shagimuratov, I.I., Tepenitzina, N.Yu., and Krankowski, A., Anomalous modification of the ionospheric total electron content prior to the 26 September 2005 Peru earthquake, J. Atmos. Sol.-Terr. Phys., 2008, vol. 70, no. 15, pp. 1919–1928. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jastp.2008.06.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zakharenkova, I.E., Shagimuratov, I.I., Krankowski, A., and Lagovsky, A.F., Precursory phenomena observed in the total electron content measurements before great Hokkaido earthquake of September 25, 2003 (M = 8.3), Stud. Geophys. Geod., 2007, vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 267–278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zubkov, S.I., Times of the occurrence of earthquake precursors, Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR: Fiz. Zemli, 1987, no. 5, pp. 87–91.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pushkov Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere, and Radiowave Propagation, Russian Academy of Sciences, Troitsk, Moscow, Russia

    L. P. Korsunova & V. V. Khegai

Authors
  1. L. P. Korsunova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. V. V. Khegai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to L. P. Korsunova.

Additional information

Original Russian Text © L.P. Korsunova, V.V. Khegai, 2018, published in Geomagnetizm i Aeronomiya, 2018, Vol. 58, No. 1, pp. 94–101.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Korsunova, L.P., Khegai, V.V. Possible Short-Term Precursors of Strong Crustal Earthquakes in Japan based on Data from the Ground Stations of Vertical Ionospheric Sounding. Geomagn. Aeron. 58, 90–97 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016793218010085

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016793218010085

Search

Navigation