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Perturbation Features Imprinted on Ionosphere by Successive Clusters of Strong Earthquakes: Role of Atmospheric Coupling Dynamics

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Abstract

The paper presents atmospheric coupling physics through identifying a few significant features imprinted on the ionosphere by certain unique seismic environments when a number of successive cluster of earthquakes ranging from 7.1 to 8.2 magnitudes occurred within about two weeks period, over the East-West Pacific zone covering 150° E to 70° W. Amongst the cases considered here are earthquakes of Chile Apr. 1, 2014 (M = 8.2) and Apr. 3, 2014 (M = 7.7), New Guinea Apr. 11, 2014 (M = 7.1) and Solomon Islands 13.04.2014 (M = 7.6). The main data source for the study is Global TEC with supplementary inputs from GPS observations taken at Guwahati (26° N, 92° E), an Appleton anomaly crest region. A few EQ events with epicenters in and around this anomaly zone are also taken in the study to focus on the seismic induced density features like Earthquake time Equatorial Anomaly (EEA) and Earthquake time Equatorial Anomaly Crest (EEAC) developed over the belt. Such anomalous modifications in TEC resulting to growths of EEA and EEAC covering Solomon Islands—New Guinea extending up to Chile along the fault lines for more than a month, are significant observations brought out in the paper. The GPS TEC data from Gauhati University are utilized in identifying the epicentre position through anomalous appearance of satellites beyond the Line Of Sight (LOS) observation. Finally, the seasonal role on enhancing the seismic induced E-field coupled by mutual interactive EQ preparatory effects of the three major events as well as in enhancement of EQ time radon emission through fault is invoked in explanation to the anomalous density features.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors M. Devi, A.K. Barbara, A. Depueva, V. Depuev, and Yu. Ruzhin acknowledge with thanks the financial support received from the DST, India and RFBR, Russia through Grant no. 17-55-45 094 a_IND., for conducting this work under the project “Lower atmospheric forcing leading to modifications in the upper atmosphere“. Further, M. Devi and K.-I. Oyama express their deep acknowledgment to the Mitsubishi Foundation for providing research Fund (ID: 26113) in carrying out part of the work of the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Gauhati University, 781014, Guwahati, Assam, India

    M. Devi, A. K. Barbara & S. Patgiri

  2. Pushkov Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere, and Radio Wave Propagation, Russian Academy of Sciences (IZMIRAN), 108840, Moscow, Troitsk, Russia

    A. Depueva, V. Depuev & Yu. Ya. Ruzhin

  3. International Center for Space Weather Study and Education, Kyushu U., Fukuoka, Japan

    K. Oyama

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  1. M. Devi
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Devi, M., Barbara, A.K., Patgiri, S. et al. Perturbation Features Imprinted on Ionosphere by Successive Clusters of Strong Earthquakes: Role of Atmospheric Coupling Dynamics. Geomagn. Aeron. 59, 955–970 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016793219080036

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