NHESS Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences NHESS Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci. 1684-9981 Copernicus Publications Göttingen, Germany 10.5194/nhess-10-7-2010 Electron and ion density variations before strong earthquakes (<i>M</i>>6.0) using DEMETER and GPS data Akhoondzadeh M. 1 2 Parrot M. 2 Saradjian M. R. 1 Remote Sensing Division, Surveying and Geomatics Engineering Department, School of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace (LPC2E)/CNRS, UMR6115, Orléans, France 11 01 2010 10 1 7 18 Copyright: © 2010 M. Akhoondzadeh et al. 2010 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ This article is available from https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/10/7/2010/nhess-10-7-2010.html The full text article is available as a PDF file from https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/10/7/2010/nhess-10-7-2010.pdf

Using IAP (plasma analyzer) and ISL (Langmuir probe) experiments onboard DEMETER (Detection of Electromagnetic Emissions Transmitted from Earthquake Regions) satellite and GPS (Global Positioning System) measurements, we have statistically analyzed the variations of the electron and ion densities to search for disturbances in the vicinity of four large earthquakes prior to events. The indices <i>D</i><sub>st</sub> and <i>K</i><sub>p</sub> were used to distinguish pre-earthquake anomalies from the other anomalies related to the geomagnetic activities. For each studied case, a very good agreement was found between the different parameters estimated by DEMETER and GPS data in the detection of pre-seismic anomalies. Our statistics results show that the anomalous deviations prior to earthquakes have different sign from case to case, and that their amplitude depends on the magnitude of the earthquake. It has also been found that the electron density measured by the ISL experiment at night detects anomalous variations significantly before the earthquakes. The appearance of positive and negative anomalies in both of DEMETER and TEC (Total Electron Content) data during 1 to 5 days before all studied earthquakes during quiet geomagnetic conditions indicates that these anomalous behaviors are highly regarded as seismo-ionospheric precursors.

 References Berthelier, J. J., Godefroy, M., Leblanc, F., Seran, E., Peschard, D., Gilbert, P., and Artru, J.: IAP, the thermal plasma analyzer on DEMETER, Planet. Space Sci., 54, 487–501, 2006. Bilitza, D.: International reference ionosphere 2000, Radio Sci., 36, 261–275, 2001. Bolzan, M. J. A., Becker-Guedes, F., Fagundes, P. R., Sahai, Y., Pillat, V. G., and Wrasse, C. M.: Statistical analysis of the total electron content observed at 23° S in the Brazilian sector, Adv. Space Res., 44(3), 385–394, 2009. Depuev, V. and Zelenova, T.: Electron Density profile changes in a pre-earthquake period, Adv. Space Res., 18(6), 115–118, 1996. Devi, M., Barbara, A. K., Depueva, A., and Depuev, V.: Preliminary results of TEC measurements in Guwahati, India, Adv. Space Res., 42, 753–756, 2008. Dobrovolsky, I. R., Zubkov, S. I., and Myachkin, V. I.: Estimation of the size of earthquake preparation zones, Pure Appl. Geophys., 117, 1025–1044, 1979. Gokhberg, M. B., Pilipenko, V. A., and Pokhotelov, O. A.: Satellite observation of the electromagnetic radiation above the epicenteral region of an incipient earthquake, Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR+, Earth Sci. Ser., 268(1), 5–7, 1983 (Engl. Transl.). Gousheva, M. N., Glavcheva, R. P., Danov, D. L., Hristov, P. L., Kirov, B. B., and Georgieva, K. Y.: Electric field and ion density anomalies in the mid latitude ionosphere: Possible connection with earthquakes?, Adv. Space Res., 42, 206–212, 2008. Hayakawa, M. and Molchanov, O. A.: Seismo- Electromagnetics: Lithosphere-Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling, Terra Scientific Publishing Co., Tokyo, 477&nbsp;pp., 2002. Kim, V. P., Hegai, V. V., and Illich-Svitych, P. V.: On one possible ionospheric precursor of earthquakes, Physics of the Solid Earth, 30, 223–226, 1994. Lebreton, J. P., Stverak, S., Travnicek, P., Maksimovic, M., Klinge, D., Merikallio, S., Lagoutte, D., Poirier, B., Kozacek, Z., and Salaquarda, M.: The ISL Langmuir Probe experiment and its data processing onboard DEMETER: scientific objectives, description and first results, Planet. Space Sci., 54(5), 472–486, 2006. Liu, J. Y., Chuo, Y. J., Shan, S. J., Tsai, Y. B., Chen, Y. I., Pulinets, S. A., and Yu, S. B.: Pre-earthquake ionospheric anomalies registered by continuous GPS TEC measurements, Ann. Geophys., 22, 1585-1593, 2004. Mannucci, A. J., Wilson, B. D., Yuan, D. N., Ho, C. H., Lindqwister, U. J., and Runge, T. F.: A global mapping technique for GPS-derived ionospheric total electron content measurements, Radio Sci., 33, 565–582, https://doi.org/10.1029/97RS02707, 1998. Mayaud, P. N.: Derivation, Meaning and use of geomagnetic indices, Geophysical monograph, no.&nbsp;22, American Geo. Union, Washington, DC, 1980. Namgaladze, A. A., Klimenko, M. V., Klimenko, V. V., and Zakharenkova, I. E.: Physical mechanism and mathematical modelling of earthquake ionospheric precursors registered in Total Electron Content, Geomagn. Aeronomy+, 49, 252–262, 2009. Ondoh, T.: Investigation of precursory phenomena in the ionosphere, atmosphere and groundwater before large earthquakes of $M>$6.5, Adv. Space Res., 43, 214–223, 2008. Park, C. G. and Dejnakarintra, M.: Penetration of thundercloud electric fields into the ionosphere and magnetosphere, 1. Middle and auroral latitudes, J. Geophys. Res., 84, 960–964, 1973. Parrot, M.: Use of satellites to detect seismo-electromagnetic effects, Main phenomenological features of ionospheric precursors of strong earthquakes, Adv. Space Res., 15(11), 1337–1347, 1995. 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, 31, 486–495, 2006. Pulinets, S. A., Boyarchuk, K. A., Hegai, V. V., Kim, V. P., and Lomonosov, A. M.: Quasielectrostatic Model of Atmosphere-Thermosphere-Ionosphere Coupling, Adv. Space Res., 26(8), 1209–1218, 2000. Pulinets, S. A. and Boyarchuk, K. A.: Ionospheric Precursors of Earthquakes, Springer, Berlin, 2004. Pulinets, S. A., Legen, A. D., Gaivoronskaya, T. V., and Depuev, V. K.: Main phenomenological features of ionospheric precursors of strong earthquakes, J. Atmos. Sol.-Terr. Phy., 65, 1337–1347, 2003. Pulinets, S. A.: Physical mechanism of the vertical electric field generation over active tectonic faults, Adv. Space Res., 44, 767–773, 2009. Rishbeth, H. and Mendillo, M.: Patterns of F2-layer variability, J. Atmos. Sol.-Terr. Phy., 63, 1661–1680, 2001. Sardon, E., Rius, A., and Zarraoa, N.: Estimation of the transmitter and receiver differential biases and the ionospheric total electron content from Global Positioning System observations, Radio Sci., 29, 577–586, 1994. Sarkar, S., Gwal, A. K., and Parrot, M.: Ionospheric variations observed by the DEMETER satellite in the mid-latitude region during strong earthquakes, J. Atmos. Sol.-Terr. Phy., 69, 1524–1540, 2007. Sharma, K., Das, R. M., Dabas, R. S, Pillai, K. G. M., Garg, S. C., and Mishra, A. K.: Ionospheric precursors observed at low latitudes around the time of koyna earthquake, Adv. Space Res., 42, 1238–1245, 2008. Tronin, A., Hayakawa, M., and Molchanov, O. A.: Thermal IR satellite data application for earthquake research in Japan and China, J. Geodyn., 33, 519–534, 2002. Zhao, B., Wang, M., Yu, T., Wan, W., Lei, J., and Liu, L.: Is an unusual large enhancement of ionospheric electron density linked with the 2008 great Wenchuan earthquake?, J. Geophys. Res., 113, 1–6, 2008.