Radiation Belt Electron Precipitation as a Tool for Earthquake Magnitude Evaluation of Earthquakes in Japan
Abstract
The precipitation of radiation belt energetic electrons in the upper ionosphere at middle latitudes was recently confirmed to be originated from radiation belt electron cyclotron resonance with VLF wave activity, caused by physical processes taking place during the preparation of an earthquake. In this paper, a methodology is presented based on some assumptions for the forthcoming earthquake epicenter electromagnetic environment, by which the length of the orbit where electron precipitation was detected is related with the earthquake preparation region, and thereafter with the magnitude of the earthquake. The statistical sample examined concern great earthquakes near Japan between the years 2004 - 2008. Data of energetic electrons (~90 - 500 keV) provided by the IDP experiment onboard DEMETER has been used in order to evaluate the length of the electron precipitation region in the upper ionosphere. In the paper we discuss the uncertainty of the preseismic radiation belt electron precipitation based-related calculation compared to the earthquake magnitude that was observed, and we suggest corrections to be made in the physical constraints of the problem to reach a better evaluation of the earthquake magnitude.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011AGUFMNH23A1536A
- Keywords:
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- 2455 IONOSPHERE / Particle precipitation;
- 2736 MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS / Magnetosphere/ionosphere interactions;
- 4317 NATURAL HAZARDS / Precursors