Ionospheric perturbations related to seismicity and volcanic eruptions inferred from VLF/LF electric field measurements
- 1Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria (hue@oeaw.ac.at)
- 2Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth, RAS, Moscow, Russia
- 3Department of Physics, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
In this study we investigate electric field perturbations from sub-ionospheric VLF/LF paths which cross seismic and volcanic active areas. We use waveguide cavity radio links from the transmitters TBB (26.70 kHz, Bafa, Turkey) and ITS (45.90 kHz, Niscemi, Sicily, Italy) to the seismo-electromagnetic receiver facility GRZ (Graz, Austria). The continuous real-time amplitude and phase measurements have a temporal resolution of 1 sec, events are analyzed for the period 2020-2021. Of high interest in this time span are paroxysms of the stratovolcano Mt. Etna, Sicily, Italy. We show electric field amplitude variations which could be related to atmospheric waves, occurred at the active crater and propagated up to the lower ionosphere. This corresponds to vertical coupling processes from the ground to the E-region, the upper waveguide boundary during night-time. Ionospheric variations possibly related to earthquakes are discussed for events along the TBB-GRZ path, assumed is an area given by the so-called effective precursor manifestation zone [1,2]. The findings indicate statistical relations between electric field amplitude variations of the ITS-GRZ path in the VLF/LF sub-ionospheric waveguide and high volcanic activity of Etna. For earthquakes multi-parametric observations shall be taken into account to diagnose physical processes related to the events. In summary, VLF/LF investigations in a network together with automated data processing can be an essential component of natural hazards characterization.
References:
[1] Dobrovolsky, I.P., Zubkov, S.I., and Miachkin, V.I., Estimation of the size of earthquake preparation zones, PAGEOPH 117, 1025–1044, 1979. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00876083
[2] Bowman, D.D., Ouillon, G., Sammis, C.G., Sornette, A., and Sornette, D., An observational test of the critical earthquake concept, JGR Solid Earth, 103, B10, 24359-24372, 1998. https://doi.org/10.1029/98JB00792
How to cite: Eichelberger, H. U., Schwingenschuh, K., Boudjada, M. Y., Besser, B. P., Wolbang, D., Solovieva, M., Biagi, P. F., Stachel, M., Aydogar, Ö., Schirninger, C., Muck, C., Grill, C., and Jernej, I.: Ionospheric perturbations related to seismicity and volcanic eruptions inferred from VLF/LF electric field measurements , EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022, EGU22-8420, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-8420, 2022.
