ALBERT

Description: ULF emission data at Lunping (epicentral distance, 120 km) have been analysed for the Chi-Chi earthquake (with magnitude 7.6 and depth of 11 km) in Taiwan which occurred on 21 September 1999. Simple intensity analyses have not yielded any significant results but we have found, based on the analysis of polarization (the ratio of vertical magnetic field component Z to the horizontal component G), that the polarization (Z/G) showed a significant enhancement for two months before the earthquake. This kind of temporal evolution of polarization seems to be very similar to previous results, so that it is highly likely that this phenomenon may be associated with the Chi-Chi earthquake. Also, the comparison of the results of polarization analyses, by changing the signal threshold, has given us an approximate intensity of the seismogenic emission of the order of the monthly mean value.

Description: In this paper, perturbations of the ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) are compared with geomagnetic oscillations. Comparison is made for a few selected periods, some during earthquakes in California and Japan and others at quiet periods in Israel and California. Anomalies in TEC were extracted using Global Positioning System (GPS) observations collected by GIL (GPS in Israel) and the California permanent GPS networks. Geomagnetic data were collected in some regions where geomagnetic observatories and the GPS network overlaps. Sensitivity of the GPS method and basic wave characteristics of the ionospheric TEC perturbations are discussed. We study temporal variations of ionospheric TEC structures with highest reasonable spatial resolution around 50 km. Our results show no detectable TEC disturbances caused by right-lateral strike-slip earthquakes with minor vertical displacement. However, geomagnetic observations obtained at two observatories located in the epicenter zone of a strong dip-slip earthquake (Kyuchu, M = 6.2, 26 March 1997) revealed geomagnetic disturbances occurred 6–7 h before the earthquake.

Description: A review of data processing of electromagnetic emission observation collected at the Complex Geophysical Observatory Karimshino (Kamchatka peninsula) during the first 5 months (July–November, 2000) of its operation is given. The main goal of this study addresses the detection of the phenomena associated with Kamchatka seismic activity. The following observations have been conducted at CGO: variations of ULF/ELF magnetic field, geoelectric potentials (telluric currents), and VLF signals from navigation radio transmitters. The methods of data processing of these observations are discussed. The examples of the first experimental results are presented.

Description: This paper presents the preliminary results on the possible reception of over-horizon VHF radio signals from a FM (frequency modulation) transmitter during abnormal situations (probably in close association with earthquakes). The transmitter is FM Sendai (frequency = 77.1 MHz) and the receiving station is our university (UEC) at Chofu, Tokyo, with the transmitter-receiver distance being about 310 km. We first show a typical example of the reception of over-horizon VHF signals in which we present the amplitude behavior, azimuthal and incident angle estimation, etc. Then, we study the correlation between a signal anomaly and an earthquake and it seems that the over-horizon VHF signals observed are probably associated with earthquakes, observed about 7 to 0 days before an earthquake. The direction finding measurements have indicated that such signals are due to favorable tropospheric (but not ionospheric) conditions attributed to the effects of earthquakes.

Description: Among radio signals, low frequency (LF) radio signals lie in the band between 30–300 kHz. Monitoring equipment with the ability to measure the electric strength of such signals at field sites, were designed and assembled in Italy. From 1993 onwards, the electric field strength of the MCO (216 kHz, France) broadcasting station has been collecting measurements at two sites in central Italy that were chosen according to very low noise levels. At the end of 1996, radio signals from the CLT (189 kHz, Italy) and CZE (270 kHz, Czech Republic) broadcasting stations were included in the measurements. Meteorological data from central Italy were also collected over the same time period in order to study the influence of weather conditions on the experimental measurements. During the monitoring period, we observed some evident attenuation of the electric field strength in some of the radio signals at some of the receivers. The duration of the attenuation observed was several days, so it could possibly be related to particular meteorological conditions. On the other hand, this phenomenon might represent precursors of moderate (3.0 〈 M 〈 3.5) earthquakes that occurred near the receivers (within 50 km) along the transmitter-receiver path. In this case, it is possible that the pre-seismic processes could have produced irregularities in the troposphere, such as ducts, reflecting layers and scattering zones, so that some local troposphere defocusing of the radio signals might have occurred. These observations were related only to moderate earthquakes and in these cases, suitable meteorological conditions were probably needed to observe the effect. Between February – March 1998, we observed at one measuring site, a significant increase in the CZE electric field strength. Unfortunately, we could not use the data of the other receiver in this case, due to frequent interruptions in the data set. The increase might have been a precursor of the strong seismic sequence (M = 5.0–6.0) that occurred during March – May 1998 in Slovenia at a location over 400 km from the receiver, but lying in the middle of the transmitter-receiver path. In this case, it is possible that an ionospheric disturbance, produced by the pre-seismic processes, might have occurred.

Description: We developed an algorithm especially adapted to single-station wavelet detection of geomagnetic events, which precede or accompany the earthquakes. The detection problem in this situation is complicated by a great variability of earthquakes and accompanied phenomena, which aggravates finding characteristic features of the events. Therefore we chose to search for the characteristic features of both "disturbed" intervals (containing earthquakes) and "quiet" recordings. In this paper we propose an algorithm for solving the problem of detecting the presence of signals produced by an earthquake via analysis of its signature against the existing database of magnetic signals. To achieve this purpose, we construct the magnetic signature of certain earthquakes using the distribution of the energies among blocks, which consist of wavelet packet coefficients.

Description: The long-term evolution of scaling (fractal) characteristics of the ULF geomagnetic fields in the seismoactive region of the Guam Island is studied in relation to the strong (Ms = 8.0) nearby earthquake of 8 August 1993. The selected period covers 10 months before and 10 months after the earthquake. The FFT procedure, Burlaga-Klein approach and Higuchi method, have been applied to calculate the scaling exponents and fractal dimensions of the ULF time series. It is found that the spectrum of ULF emissions exhibits, on average, a power law behaviour S(f ) α f -b , which is a fingerprint of the typical fractal (self-affine) time series. The spectrum slope b fluctuates quasi-periodically during the course of time in a range of b = 2.5–0.7, which corresponds to the fractional Brownian motion with both persistent and antipersistent behaviour. An tendency is also found for the spectrum slope to decrease gradually when approaching the earthquake date. Such a tendency manifests itself at all local times, showing a gradual evolution of the structure of the ULF noise to a typical flicker noise structure in proximity to the large earthquake event. We suggest considering such a peculiarity as an earthquake precursory signature. One more effect related to the earthquake is revealed: the longest quasi-period, which is 27 days, disappeared from the variations of the ULF emission spectrum slope during the earthquake, and it reappeared three months after the event. Physical interpretation of the peculiarities revealed has been done on the basis of the SOC (self-organized criticality) concept.

Description: ULF/ELF emission observation has been performed at Nakatsugawa observatory (geographic coordinates; 35.4° N, 137.5° E, Gifu prefecture) since January 1999. The equipment consists of three-orthogonal magnetic sensors (induction coils), amplifiers, A/D converters and the data logger with a computer. The frequency range of observation is from 0.001 Hz to 50 Hz. The serious changes in ELF magnetic field intensity were detected on 20 September 1999, in such a way that the ELF noise level is found to increase by more than 5 dB from the normal level for about 1.5 h during 21:30–23:00 Japanese Standard Time on 20 September and also the upper limit extends up to 50 Hz. A careful comparison with the nearby lightning as detected by VLF, enables us to confirm that this abnormal ELF noise level increase is not due to the nearby lightning. The phase difference of these ELF emissions (BX , BY) was measured, and indicates that these ELF emissions are linearly polarized, suggesting that they have propagated in the subionospheric waveguide over long distances. This polarization result enables us to perform goniometric direction finding and the result shows that the main direction of these ULF/ELF emissions is toward Taiwan. Hence, it is likely that such ULF/ELF emissions are associated with the Chi-Chi earth-quake in Taiwan at 02:27 Japanese Standard Time on 21 September 1999 (M = 7.6; depth 11 km).

Description: Measurements of ULF electromagnetic disturbances were carried out in Japan before and during a seismic active period (1 February 2000 to 26 July 2000). A network consists of two groups of magnetic stations spaced apart at a distance of ≈140 km. Every group consists of three, 3-component high sensitive magnetic stations arranged in a triangle and spaced apart at a distance of 4–7 km. The results of the ULF magnetic field variation analysis in a frequency range of F = 0.002–0.5 Hz in connection with nearby earth-quakes are presented. Traditional Z/G ratios (Z is the vertical component, G is the total horizontal component), magnetic gradient vectors and phase velocities of ULF waves propagating along the Earth’s surface were constructed in several frequency bands. It was shown that variations of the R(F) = Z/G parameter have a different character in three frequency ranges: F1 = 0.1 ± 0.005, F2 = 0.01 ± 0.005 and F3 = 0.005 ± 0.003 Hz. Ratio R(F3)/R(F1) sharply increases 1–3 days before strong seismic shocks. Defined in a frequency range of F2 = 0.01 ± 0.005 Hz during nighttime intervals (00:00–06:00 LT), the amplitudes of Z and G component variations and the Z/G ratio started to increase ≈ 1.5 months before the period of the seismic activity. The ULF emissions of higher frequency ranges sharply increased just after the seismic activity start. The magnetic gradient vectors (∇ B ≈ 1 – 5 pT/km), determined using horizontal component data (G ≈ 0.03 – 0.06 nT) of the magnetic stations of every group in the frequency range F = 0.05 ± 0.005 Hz, started to point to the future center of the seismic activity just before the seismoactive period; furthermore they continued following space displacements of the seismic activity center. The phase velocity vectors (V ≈ 20 km/s for F = 0.0067 Hz), determined using horizontal component data, were directed from the seismic activity center. Gradient vectors of the vertical component pointed to the closest seashore (known as the "sea shore" effect). The location of the seismic activity centers by two gradient vectors, constructed at every group of magnetic stations, gives an ≈ 10 km error in this experiment.

Description: During the seismic wave propagation through the crust, the electromagnetic pulse can originate due to MHD conversion in this conductive medium. On the assumption of simple models of seismic wave excitation and attenuation, the problem is reduced to the analysis of a diffusion-like equation for a vector potential function. In this way, we need to change the classical gauge condition. A semi-analytical form of the solution is obtained in a case with constant ground conductivity. Dependencies of the electric and magnetic field components and the pulse duration on distance and crust conductivity have been computed in detail. The results could be useful for the explanation of electromagnetic signals related to coseismic, foreshock and aftershock activity.