Theory and detection scheme of seismic EM signals transferred into the atmosphere from the oceanic and continental lithosphere

• Published in: Advances in space research 2014-07, Vol.54 (2), p.168-184
• Main Authors: Novik, Oleg, Ershov, Sergey, Ruzhin, Yuri, Smirnov, Fedor, Volgin, Maxim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Atmospheres; Estimates; Geophysics; Ionosphere; Lithosphere; Lithospheric EM signals in the atmosphere; Mathematical models; Seismic phenomena; Three dimensional models
• ISSN: 0273-1177; 1879-1948
• DOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2014.04.004

•The mathematical models of the EM field forcing on the atmosphere from the lithosphere are formulated.•The models agree with physical principles, geological data, and seismic EM observations.•On this basis, a seaquake precursors’ detection system (from a seafloor up to the ionosphere) is described.•Besides, the results are applied to formulate a theory of magnetic location of a possible seismic epicenter area.•This theory explains the earlier field experiment of Prof. Kopytenko (IZMIRAN, RAS) and co-authors. Due to the compound structure of the medium and large portions of energy transferred, a seismic excitation in the oceanic or continental lithosphere disturbs all types of geophysical fields. To investigate the problem of electromagnetic (EM) disturbances in the atmosphere from the seismically activated lithosphere, we have formulated two mathematical models of interaction of fields of different physical nature resulting in arising of the low-frequency (from 0.1 to 10Hz by amplitude of a few hundreds of pT) EM signals in the atmosphere. First we have considered the EM field generation in the moving oceanic lithosphere and then in the moving continental one. For both cases, the main physical principles and geological data were applied for formulation of the model and characteristics of the computed signals of different nature agree with measurements of other authors. On the basis of the 2D model of the seismo-hydro-EM-temperature interaction in the lithosphere–Ocean–atmosphere domain, a block-scheme of a multisensory vertically distributed (from a seafloor up to the ionosphere) tsunami precursors’ detection system is described. On the basis of the 3D model of the seismo-EM interaction in a lithosphere–atmosphere domain, we explain why Prof. Kopytenko (Inst. IZMIRAN of Russian Acad. Sci.) and co-authors were able to estimate location of the future seismic epicenter area from their magnetic field measurements in the atmosphere near the earth’s surface.