Ionosphere Disturbances Preceding Earthquakes according to the Data of Ground Based Station of the Vertical Ionospheric Sounding Wakkanai

The paper analyzes the data of manual ionograms processing of hourly measurements of the critical frequency foF2 of the F2 ionospheric layer at the Wakkanai ionospheric vertical sounding station (Japan) in a geomagnetically quiet environment before a series of earthquakes with magnitude M > 6.0, for which the station entered the earthquake preparation zone, in order to detect possible Ionospheric Disturbances Preceding Earthquakes (IDPE), and to determine their quantitative characteristics. Detected IDPE, in the opinion of the authors, can be related to the processes of preparation of the corresponding earthquakes, i.e., to be Ionospheric Precursors of Earthquakes (IPE).     

Anomalous increase in the foF2 critical frequency prior to the Spanish earthquake of May 11, 2011

A study of variations in the critical frequency of the F2 layer (foF2) prior to a shallow-focus eartquake with a magnitude M = 5.1 which occurred in Spain on May 11, 2011, is carried out. The obtained results show that a positive disturbance in the foF2 value was observed at the ionospheric Del’ebre station, which is the closest to the earthquake epicenter. At the same time, no disturbances in foF2 are revealed at ionospheric stations located at a greater distance from the epicenter. This fact makes it possible to conclude that the positive disturbance in the F2 layer observed at the Del’ebre station could have a sesmogenic nature.     

Variability of the Earth's Atmospheric Electric Field and Ion-Aerosols Kinetics in the Troposphere

The paper deals with the mechanism of generating a ground potential gradient electric field in regions of seismic activity and its penetration into the ionosphere. The mechanism is based on the electrode effect of charge separation under the action of the natural atmospheric electric field, A large, non-compensated, space charge is formed following a chain of ion-molecular reactions as a result of the anomalous increase of radon and aerosol emanation from the crust. This space charge leads to anomalous variations of the electric field ground level, which is supported by the experimental observations made in the seismo-active regions. In turn the variations of the strong electric field over the large earthquake areas lead to the modification of ionospheric parameters due to penetration of the anomalous electric field into the ionosphere. A theoretical model of these phenomena is proposed in this paper.     

Atmospheric anomalies and anomalies of electricity in the near-surface atmosphere before the Kamchatka earthquake of January 30, 2016, based on the data from the Paratunka Observatory

The 15-min data of vertical ionosphere sounding and 10-min data from measurements of the vertical component (Ez) of the near-surface quasistatic atmospheric electrical field and the respective values of electrical conductance of near-surface air at the Paratunka complex geophysical observatory in the period from January 28 to January 30, 2016 have been analyzed to reveal the possible anomalies preceding the M = 7.2 earthquake that occurred on January 30, 2016, at 0325 UT. The distance between the observatory and epicenter was 117 km. These anomalies have been revealed, and the majority of them, in our opinion, may be related to the processes of earthquake preparation.     

Ionospheric precursor of a destructive earthquake that occurred on April 6, 2009 at L’Aquila (Italy)

On the basis of the 15-min data from a series of ground-based vertical ionospheric sounding stations, a study of variations of the foF2 critical frequency before the strong earthquake (M = 6.3) that occurred on April 6, 2009 at L’Aquila (Italy) was carried out. The earthquake epicenter was located 85 km north-eastward from Rome. Approximately 20 h prior to the earthquake, a well-pronounced statistically significant effect of foF2 increase relative to the average background for magnetically quiet days was observed for almost 1.5 h at the Rome ionospheric station. In this case, at control stations distanced from the earthquake epicenter, no statistically significant deviations of foF2 from the background values were detected during the same observations period. This fact provides grounds for consideration of the foF2 increase observed at Rome station as a possible ionospheric precursor of this earthquake.     

Effects in the Ionosphere after the Chilean Earthquake on February 27, 2010, According to Data of Ground-based Ionosondes

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - The paper analyzes the measurement data of the critical frequency (foF2) of the regular ionospheric F2-layer at a number of ground based stations of the vertical...     

Comparison of variations in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">F</Emphasis>2 layer critical frequency before the strong Italian earthquakes and during the magnetic storm: Data of the stations for ground-based vertical sounding of the ionosphere

The possible seismic ionospheric effects before two strong earthquakes in Italy, which took place near Rome station (January 7, 1962, M = 6.0; April 5, 1998, M = 5.3), have been studied using the data of several European stations for ground-based vertical sounding of the ionosphere. An analysis of the behavior of the foF2 critical frequencies for the earthquake that occurred on January 7, 1962, made it possible to simultaneously consider the effects, originating during earthquake preparation under quiet geomagnetic conditions and caused by the magnetic strom that began on January 10, 1962, using a unified technique. It has been indicated that the distinguished precursor effects of two considered earthquakes with magnitudes not more than 6.0 are localized in the region with an epicentral distance of about 400 km, whereas the disturbances caused by the magnetic storm are of a planetary character. The amplitude of foF2 seismic ionospheric disturbances is much smaller than the maximal variations caused by the magnetic storm; however, the absolute value of this amplitude is a factor of 1.5 as large as the standard deivation from the monthly median.     

Regional morphology features of electron concentration disturbances at the midlatitude <Emphasis Type="Italic">F</Emphasis>2-layer maximum during magnetic superstorm of July 15, 2000

Using data from ground-based ionospheric sounding stations, we studied the morphologic features of the disturbance pattern of the electron concentration at the midlatitude F2-layer maximum (NmF2) in the period of a magnetic superstorm, which began on July 15, 2000. In the Southern (winter) Hemisphere in the latitudinal sector, where the main storm phase began after sunrise, negative NmF disturbances were observed at quite high midlatitudes both day and night; whereas large positive NmF disturbances took place at lower midlatitudes in nighttime hours. In the Northern (summer) Hemisphere at latitudes where the main storm phase occurred in the local evening, only long-term negative disturbances were observed in daytime and nighttime hours; whereas at latitudes where the main storm phase began in the afternoon, NmF2 experienced both negative and positive disturbances. Based on analysis of data of KOMPSAT-l, ROCSAT-1, DMSP F13, F14, and F15 satellites, we present clear arguments for the viewpoint of many authors that it is just the enhancement of the eastward electric field in the evening sector that led to formation of the large-scale trough in the nighttime low-latitude upper ionosphere. This field enhancement was due to penetration of the magnetospheric electric field to low latitudes, not to the dynamo action of the disturbed neutral wind. It is also shown that, due to equatorward expansion of the magnetospheric convection system during the main storm phase, the plasmapause and the main ionospheric trough were shifted to a magnetic latitude of 40° (L ∼ 1.7).     

Disturbances in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">F</Emphasis>2 region critical frequency before the earthquake of September 11, 2008 off the coast of Hokkaido,Japan, and during a moderate magnetic storm based on data from ground-based vertical ionosphere sounding stations

Based on data from ground-based vertical sounding stations, the behaviors of the ionosphere F region before a strong M 6.8 earthquake off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan, and during the moderate magnetic storm before this earthquake are compared. It was found that the critical frequency of the ionosphere F region (foF2) above the Wakkanai ground-based ionosphere vertical sounding station, which was located in the preparation zone of this earthquake, suffered a long-term disturbance of slightly more than an hour nearly half a day before the earthquake. The magnitude of earthquake-induced disturbance is comparable to that caused by a magnetic storm.