Abstract
Isolation of seismomagnetic effect arising from the stress-induced modulations of magnetisation becomes difficult due to natural variations of magnetic disturbances. It has been critical to find out the precursory earthquake behaviour in any of the data including geomagnetic, for the last 50 years. To search seismomagnetic signals in the present study, we have analysed four earthquakes (Mw ≥ 4.9) during 2007–2011 related to Ghuttu MPGO situated in NW Himalayas, India. These four earthquakes were found to be eligible for which Ghuttu station is in the preparation zone and an index of magnetic variation (Imv), which quantifies anomalous variations of the magnetic field from geomagnetic data, has been estimated. For this endeavour, an assumption has been made considering the average of magnetic data for the quiet days in order to compare the analysis with respect to the magnetic storms. Using the magnetic data recorded at Ghuttu MPGO for the interval of nearly two months within the range of occurrence of four moderate earthquakes, the Imv has been computed. As a result, it has been observed that the proposed Imv computed is still sensitive to global magnetic disturbances as evidenced by comparing to Dst and sum Kp for the earthquakes considered in the present study. Therefore, it is summarised that the best way to isolate seismomagnetic effect is by comparing the data of pair of stations in differential mode, one located close to the area of stress built up and the other immediately outside the seismic zone, so that the background noise can be eliminated by analysing this kind of pair stations in order to achieve the goal. However, the size of the earthquake and epicentral range are also important controlling parameters to observe the seismomagnetic effects due to an earthquake in a region.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arora B R and Sri Niwas 1997 Natural source electromagnetic inductions in the Earth; New Age International (P) Limited, Publisher, ISBN 81-224-1025-1.
Arora B R, Rawat G and Mishra S S 2012a Indexing of ULF electromagnetic emission to search earthquake precursors; In: The frontier of earthquake prediction studies (ed.) Hayakawa M, Nihon-Senmontosho-Shuppan, Tokyo, pp. 346–362.
Arora B R, Rawat G, Kumar N and Choubey V M 2012b Multi-parameter geophysical observatory: Gateway to integrated earthquake precursory research; Curr. Sci. 103(11) 1286–1297.
Becerra E F and Abdeslem J G 2011 A possible seismomagnetic precursor of the El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake (Mw 7.2) of April 4, 2010, Baja California, Mexico; Geofis. Int. 50(2) 211–225.
Depueva A Kh and Ruzhin Yu Ya 1995 Seismoionospheric fountain-effect as analogue of active space experiment; Adv. Space Res. 15(12) 151–154.
Depueva A Kh and Rotanova N 2001 Low-latitude ionospheric disturbances associated with earthquakes; Ann. Geophys. 44(2) 221–228.
Dey S and Singh R P 2003 Surface latent heat flux as an earthquake precursor; Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci. 3 749–755.
Dobrovolsky I R, Zubkov S I and Myachkin V I 1979 Estimation of the size of earthquake preparation zones; Pure Appl. Geophys. 117 1025–1044.
Dobrovolsky I P, Gershenzon N I and Gokhber M B 1989 Theory of electrokinetic effects occurring at the final stage in the preparation of a tectonic earthquake; Phys. Earth Planet. Int. 57 144–156.
Fenoglio M A, Johnston M J S and Byerlee J 1995 Magnetic and electric fields associated with changes in high pore pressure in fault zones: Application to the Loma Prieta ULF emissions; J. Geophys. Res. 100 12,951–12,958.
Fitterman D V 1978 Electrokinetic and magnetic anomalies associated with dilatants regions in a layered earth; J. Geophys. Res. 83 5923–5928.
Fitterman D V 1979 Theory of electrokinetic-magnetic anomalies in faulted half-space; J. Geophys. Res. 84 6031–6040.
Gupta H K 2002 A review of recent studies of triggered earthquakes by artificial water reservoirs with special emphasis on earthquakes in Koyna, India; Earth Sci. Rev. 58 279–310.
Gupta H K and Gahalaut V K 2014 Seismotectonics and large earthquake generation in the Himalayan region; Gondwana Res. 25 204–213.
Han P, Hattori K, Xu G, Ashida R, Chen C-H, Febriani F and Yamaguchi H 2015 Further investigations of geomagnetic diurnal variations associated with the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake (Mw 9.0); J. Asian Earth Sci. 114 321–326.
Huang F, Li M, Ma Y, Han Y, Tian L, Yan W and Li X 2017 Studies on earthquake precursors in China: A review for recent 50 years; Geod. Geodyn. 8 1–12.
Johnston M 1997 Review of electric and magnetic fields accompanying seismic and volcanic activity; Surv. Geophys. 18 441–475.
Johnston M J S and Mueller R J 1987 Seismomagnetic observation with the July 8, 1986, ML 5.9 North Palm Springs earthquake; Science 237 1201–1203.
Johnston M J S, Muller R J and Sasai Y 1994 Magnetic field observations in the near-field 28 June 1992 Mw 7.3 Landers, California, Earthquake; Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 84(3) 792–798.
Johnston M J S, Sasai Y, Egbert G D and Mueller R J 2006 Seismomagnetic effects from the long-awaited 28 September 2004 M6.0 Parkfield earthquake; Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 96(4B) S206–S220.
Khattri K N 1987 Great earthquakes, seismicity gaps and potential for earthquake disaster along Himalaya plate boundary; In: Earthquake prediction (eds) Mogi K and Khattri K N, Tectonophys. 138 79–92.
Kumar N, Paul A, Mahajan A K, Yadav D K and Bora C 2012 The 5.0 Mw Kharsali, Garhwal Himalaya earthquake of 23 July 2007: Source characterisation and tectonic implications; Curr. Sci. 102(12) 1674–1682.
Kuo C L, Huba J D, Joyce G and Lee L C 2011 Ionosphere plasma bubbles and density variations induced by pre-earthquake rock currents and associated surface charges; J. Geophys. Res. 116 A10317.
Liu J Y, Chen Y I, Chuo Y J and Tsai H F 2001 Variations of ionospheric total electron content during the Chi-Chi earthquake; Geophys. Res. Lett. 28 1383–1386.
Liu J Y, Chen Y I, Chen C H, Liu C Y, Chen C Y, Nishihashi M, Li J Z, Xia Y Q, Oyama K I, Hattori K and Lin C H 2009 Seismoionospheric GPS total electron content anomalies observed before the 12 May 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake; J. Geophys. Res. 114 A04320.
Liu J Y, Tsai H F, Lin C H, Kamogawa M, Chen Y I, Lin C H, Huang B S, Yu S B and Yeh Y H 2010 Coseismic ionospheric disturbances triggered by the Chi-Chi earthquake; J. Geophys. Res. 115 A0830.
Liu J Y, Le H, Chen Y I, Chen C H, Liu L, Wan W, Su Y Z, Sun Y Y, Lin C H and Chen M Q 2011 Observations and simulations of seismoionospheric GPS total electron content anomalies before the 12 January 2010 M7 Haiti earthquake; J. Geophys. Res. 116 A04302.
Masci F and Thomas J N 2015 Are there new findings in the search for ULF magnetic precursors to earthquakes?; J. Geophys. Res. Space Phys. 120 10,289–10,304.
Nagata T 1970 Basic magnetic properties of rocks under the effects of mechanical stresses; Tectonophys. 9(2–3) 167–195.
Ni J and Barazangi M 1984 Seismotectonics of the Himalayan collision zone: Geometry of the under-thrusting Indian plate beneath the Himalaya; J. Geophys. Res. 89 1147–1163.
Pandey M R, Tandukar R P, Avouac J P, Lave L and Massot J P 1995 Interseismic strain accumulation in the Himalayan crustal ramp in Nepal; Geophys. Res. Lett. 22 741–754.
Parkinson W D 1983 Introduction to geomagnetism; Scottish Academic Press, Edinburgh and London, 433p.
Riggo A and Santulin M 2005 Earthquake forecasting: A review of radon as seismic precursor; Boll. Geofis. Teor. 56(2) 95–114.
Rostoker G 1972 Polar magnetic substorms; Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 10 157.
Scholz C H, Sykes L R and Agarwal Y P 1973 Earthquake prediction: A physical basis; Science 181 803–810.
Srivastava H N, Bansal B K and Verma M 2013 Largest earthquake in Himalaya: An appraisal; J. Geol. Soc. India 82 15–22.
Stacey F D 1962 Theory of the magnetic susceptibility of stressed rocks; Phil. Mag. 7 551–556.
Sugiura M 1964 Hourly values of equatorial Dst for IGY; Ann. Int. Geophys.Yr. 35(1) 7–45.
Tascione T 1994 Introduction to the Space Environment; Second Ed. Orbit.
Tsugawa T, Saito A, Otsuka Y, Nishioka M, Maruyama T, Kato H, Nagatsuma T and Murata K T 2011 Ionospheric disturbances detected by GPS total electron content observation after the 2011 off-the-Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake; Earth Planets Space 63 875–879.
Valdiya K S 1988 Tectonics and evolution of the central sector of the Himalaya; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Lond. A326 151–175.
Xu G, Han P, Huang Q, Hattori K, Febriani F and Yamaguchi H 2013 Anomalous behaviours of geomagnetic diurnal variations prior to the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake (Mw 9.0); J. Asian Earth Sci. 77 59–65.
Zhang X M, Li M and Guan H P 2009 Anomaly analysis of earth resistivity observations before the Wenchuan earthquake; Earthquake 29(1) 108–115.
Acknowledgements
Authors sincerely acknowledge the Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India and Director, National Centre for Seismology, New Delhi, for supporting this piece of research work. The authors would like to express their gratitude to Prof. B R Arora, Former Director, Wadia Institute of Himlayan Geology, for comprehensive, consistant and stepwise guidance in completing this research work. Authors are also thankful to the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, for providing the magnetic data from Ghuttu Observatory installed by Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, under the sponsored project of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, New Delhi. Authors are also thankful to Prof. Anand Joshi, Associate Editor and anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions, which improved the manuscript significantly.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
BS conducted all the technical study, including collection, processing and interpretation of geophysical data and supervised the entire study. PC contributed to image processing, data interpretation, analysis and compiled the manuscript. SKP was associated with geophysical data collection, processing and writing manuscript.
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by Anand Joshi
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sharma, B., Chingtham, P. & Prajapati, S.K. In a search for seismomagnetic signals of NW Himalayan moderate earthquakes. J Earth Syst Sci 131, 256 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-022-02001-0
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-022-02001-0