The seismomagnetic effect

Summary

Local variations in the geomagnetic field, which are produced by stress changes in crustal rocks, are calculable from the stress patterns and the piezomagnetic properties of the rocks down to the Curie point isotherm. Release of stress during movement along a section of a transcurrent fault at an angle ϕ, measured clockwise with respect to the direction of magnetization of the rocks, produces a change in field similar to that which would be produced by the addition of a buried dipole of orientation (2ϕ±π/2), the alternative signs applying to right- and left-lateral faults. Computed seismomagnetic anomalies of horizontal, vertical and total field are plotted for different fault orientations in simple geological environments. Time-dependent magnetic anomalies with magnitudes of the order 10 gammas may commonly accompany the build-up of stress before an earthquake and provide a pre-indication of it.