A new study highlights the potential of satellites in detecting early indicators of earthquakes through anomalies in the ground, atmosphere and ionosphere, suggesting the possibility of predicting earthquakes earlier than previously thought. Professor Mehdi Akhoondzadeh’s research, which involved analysis of satellite data from recent earthquakes near the Turkey-Syria border, identified significant precursor anomalies that occurred up to 19 days before the events. These findings could pave the way for the development of advanced earthquake early warning systems that minimize false alarms and increase the reliability of predictions. Credit: SciTechDaily.com
The research identifies clear electromagnetic anomalies from various satellite data, potentially aiding the development of earthquake early warning systems.
According to a new study in De Gruyter’s Journal of Applied GeodesyEarthquakes can reveal their impending presence much earlier than previously thought through various anomalies present in the ground, atmosphere and ionosphere that can be detected by satellites.
The development of earthquake early warning systems could be very useful in preventing death and destruction. One such proposed technique involves using satellites to monitor various physical and chemical parameters in the earth, the atmosphere, and the layer of charged particles that exists above it, called the ionosphere.
Challenges in detecting earthquake precursors
Such anomalies are known as earthquake precursors, and although scientists are aware of them, it has been difficult to definitively identify the pattern of so-called red flags that could indicate an impending earthquake. This is due to the complexity of precursor interactions and their variability in different earthquakes and geographic regions. But with each earthquake that researchers analyze using increasingly sophisticated satellite technology, these patterns are slowly emerging.
Professor Mehdi Akhoondzadeh of the University of Tehran evaluated a series of satellite data from before and after two earthquakes that occurred on February 6, 2023, near the Turkey-Syria border. This included data from China’s CSES-01 seismo-electromagnetic satellite and the Swarm satellite mission, which consists of three satellites from European Space Agency.
Observing anomalies before an earthquake
Surprisingly, he observed anomalies in the Earth’s surface temperature from the earthquake area as early as 12-19 days before the earthquake and anomalies in atmospheric parameters between 5-10 days before the earthquake. These included measurements of water vapor, methane, ozone and carbon monoxide levels.
When Professor Akhoondzadeh investigated anomalies in the ionosphere, including measurements of parameters such as electron density and electron temperature, he found clear and striking anomalies 1-5 days before the earthquake.
The times at which anomalies became apparent in the ground, atmosphere, and ionosphere indicate that these signals originated from the ground and eventually manifested in higher levels of the atmosphere and ultimately the ionosphere.
Studying these phenomena could pave the way for earthquake early warning systems, but scientists will need to assess other earthquakes in the future to fully understand these patterns.
“Using CSES-01 satellite data, anomalies in the ionosphere prior to the 6 February 2023 Turkey earthquake have been detected for the first time,” Professor Akhoondzadeh said. “By studying the anomalies associated with many earthquake precursors, the uncertainty in detecting true anomalies is reduced, which can be effective in creating earthquake warning systems with low false alarms.”
Reference: “Analyses of China’s First Seismic Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES-01) Data Along with Other Earthquake Precursors Related to Turkey Earthquakes (February 6, 2023)” by Mehdi Akhoondzadeh, May 16, 2024 Journal of Applied Geodesy.
DOI: 10.1515/jag-2024-0024