Variations of VLF/LF signals observed on the ground and satellite during a seismic activity in Japan region in May-June 2008

M Rozhnoi (1) , M Solovieva (1) , M Molchanov (1) , P.-F Biagi (2) , M Hayakawa (3) , K Schwingenschuh (4) , M Boudjada (4) , Michel Parrot (5)

1 IPE - Schmidt United Institute of Physics of the Earth [Moscow]
2 Department of Physics [Bari]
3 UEC - University of Electro-Communications [Tokyo]
4 IWF - Space Research Institute of Austrian Academy of Sciences
5 LPC2E - Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace

Signals of two Japanese transmitters (22.2 kHz and 40 kHz) recorded on the ground VLF/LF station in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and on board the DEMETER French satellite have been analyzed during a seismic activity in Japan in May–June 2008. The period of analysis was from 18 April to 27 June. During this time two rather large earthquakes occurred in the north part of Honshu Island – 7 May (M=6.8) and 13 June (M=6.9). The ground and satellite data were processed by a method based on the difference between the real signal in nighttime and the model one. For ground observations a clear decrease in both signals has been found several days before the first earthquake. For the second earthquake anomalies were detected only in JJI signal. The epicenters of earthquakes were in reliable reception zone of 40 kHz signal on board the DEMETER. Signal enhancement above the seismic active region and significant signal intensity depletion in the magnetically conjugate area has been found for satellite observation before the first earthquake. Anomalies in satellite data coincide in time with those in the ground-based observation.

Domains: Sciences of the Universe [physics]; Earth Sciences; Geophysics [physics.geo-ph]; Sciences of the Universe [physics]; Earth Sciences; Tectonics

M Rozhnoi, M Solovieva, M Molchanov, P.-F Biagi, M Hayakawa, et al.. Variations of VLF/LF signals observed on the ground and satellite during a seismic activity in Japan region in May-June 2008. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 2010, 10 (3), pp.529 - 534. ⟨10.5194/nhess-10-529-2010⟩. ⟨insu-01387067⟩