Abstract
Cumulative stress energy in active seismic regions caused by tectonic forces creates various earthquake precursors. This energy transformation may result in enhanced transient thermal infrared (TIR) emission, which can be detected through satellites equipped with thermal sensors like MODIS (Terra/Aqua) and AVHRR (NOAA). Satellite time-series data, coupled with ground based observations, where available, can enable scientists to survey pre-earthquake signals in the areas of strong tectonic activity. This paper presents observations made using time series MODIS and NOAA-AVHRR satellite data for derived multi-parameters including land surface temperature (LST), outgoing long-wave radiation (OLR), and mean air temperature (AT) for the moderate, 5.9 magnitude earthquake, which took place on the 27th of October, 2004, inthe seismic region of Vrancea, in Romania. Anomalous thermal infrared signals, reflected by a rise of several degrees celsius (°C) in LSTs, and higher OLR values were seen several days before the earthquake. AT values in the epicentral area also increased almost two days prior to the earthquake and intensified three days after the main shock. Increases in LSTs and OLR disappeared three days after the main shock. The survey and joint analysis of geospatial and in-situ geophysical information on land surface temperatures and outgoing long-wave radiation provides new insights into the field of seismic hazard assessment in Vrancea, a significant area of tectonic activity in Romania and Europe.
[1] Freund F., Seeking out Earth’s warning signals, Nature 437, 2011, 452 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/473452d10.1038/473452dSearch in Google Scholar PubMed
[2] Begueria S., Validation and Evaluation of Predictive Models in Hazard Assessment and Risk Management, Natural Hazards 37, 2006, 315–329 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11069-005-5182-610.1007/s11069-005-5182-6Search in Google Scholar
[3] Forte A. M., Mitrovica J. X., Deep-mantle highviscosity flow and thermochemical structure inferred from seismic and geodynamic data, Nature 410, 2001, 1049–1056 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/3507400010.1038/35074000Search in Google Scholar PubMed
[4] Shebalin P., Chains of earthquakes — short-term Precursors of strong earthquakes: Reverse detection of precursors Analysis, Geophysical Research Abstracts 6, 2004, 03597 Search in Google Scholar
[5] Warwick J. W., Stoker C., Mayer T. R., Radio emission associated with rock fracture: possible application to great Chilean earthquake of May 22, Journal of Geophysical Research 4, 1982, 2851–2859 http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/JB087iB04p0285110.1029/JB087iB04p02851Search in Google Scholar
[6] Jing F., Shen X. H., Kang C. L., Xiong P. „Variations of multi-parameter observations in atmosphere related to earthquake, Natural Hazards and Earth Systems Sciences 2013, 27–33 10.5194/nhess-13-27-2013Search in Google Scholar
[7] Singh R. P., Cervone G., Kafatos M., Prasad A. K., Sahoo A. K., Sun D., Tang D. L., Yang R., Multi-sensor studies of the Sumatra earthquake and tsunami of 26 December 2004, International Journal of Remote Sensing 28, 2007, 2885–2896 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0143116070123740510.1080/01431160701237405Search in Google Scholar
[8] Panda S. K., Choudhury S., Saraf A. K., Das J. D., MODIS land surface temperature data detects thermal anomaly proceeding 8 October 2005 Kashmir earthquake, International Journal of Remote Sensing 28, 2007, 4587–4596 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0143116070124490610.1080/01431160701244906Search in Google Scholar
[9] Radulian M., Mandrescu N., Panza G. F., Popescu E., Utale A., Characterization of seismogenic zones of Romania, Pure and Applied Geophysics 157, 2000, 57–77 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/PL0000110010.1007/PL00001100Search in Google Scholar
[10] Pulinets, S. A., Dunajecka M. A., Specific variations of air temperature and relative humidity around the time of Michoacan earthquake M8.1 Sept. 19, 1985 as a possible indicator of interaction between tectonic plates, Tectonophysics 431, 2007, 221–230 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2006.05.04410.1016/j.tecto.2006.05.044Search in Google Scholar
[11] Dobrovolsky I. P., Zubkov S. I., Miachkin V. I., Estimation of the size of earthquake preparation zones, Pure and Applied Geophysics 117, 1979, 1025–1044 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF0087608310.1007/BF00876083Search in Google Scholar
[12] Tronin A. A., Biagi P. F., Molchanov O. A., Khatkevich Y. M., Gordeev E. I., Temperature variations related to earthquakes from simultaneous observation at the ground stations and by satellites in Kamchatka area, Physics and Chemistry of the Earth 29, 2004, 501–506 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2003.09.02410.1016/j.pce.2003.09.024Search in Google Scholar
[13] Dey S., Singh R. P., Surface latent heat flux as an earthquake precursor, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 3, 2003, 749–755 http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/nhess-3-749-200310.5194/nhess-3-749-2003Search in Google Scholar
[14] Ouzounov D., Freund F., Mid-infrared emission prior to strong earthquakes analyzed by remote sensing data, Advances in Space Research 33, 2004, 268–273 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0273-1177(03)00486-110.1016/S0273-1177(03)00486-1Search in Google Scholar
[15] Saraf A. K., Choudhury S., Satellite detects surface thermal anomalies associated with the Algerian earthquakes of May 2003, International Journal of Remote Sensing 26, 2005, 2705–2713, 2005 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0143116031000164235910.1080/01431160310001642359Search in Google Scholar
[16] Zoran M., Savastru R., Savastru D., Radon levels assessment in relation with seismic events in Vrancea region, Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 293, 2012, 655–663 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10967-012-1712-310.1007/s10967-012-1712-3Search in Google Scholar
[17] Zoran M., Savastru R., Savastru D, Chitaru C., Baschir L., Tautan M., Monitoring of radon anomalies in South-Eastern part of Romania for earthquake surveillance, Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 293, 2012, 769–781 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10967-012-1780-410.1007/s10967-012-1780-4Search in Google Scholar
[18] Zoran M., MODIS and NOAA-AVHRR and surface temperature data detect a thermal anomaly preceding the 11 March 2011 Tohoku earthquake, International Journal of Remote Sensing 33, 2012, 6805–6817 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2012.69283310.1080/01431161.2012.692833Search in Google Scholar
[19] Oth A., Wenzel F., Radulian M., Source parameters of intermediate-depth Vrancea (Romania) earthquakes from empirical Green’s functions modeling, Tectonophysics 438, 2007, 33–56 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2007.02.01610.1016/j.tecto.2007.02.016Search in Google Scholar
[20] Ardeleanu L., Leydecker G., Bonjer K. P., Busche H., Kaiser D., Schmitt T., Probabilistic seismic hazard map for Romania as a basis for a new building code, Natural Hazards and Earth Systems Sciences 5, 2005, 679–684 http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/nhess-5-679-200510.5194/nhess-5-679-2005Search in Google Scholar
[21] Radulian M., Bonjer K. P., Popescu E., Popa M., Ionescu C., Grecu B., The October 27th, 2004 Vrancea (Romania) earthquake, ORFEUS Newsletter 7, 2004, 1 Search in Google Scholar
[22] Trifu C. I., Radulian M., Asperity distribution and percolation as fundamentals of earthquakes cycle, Physics of Earth and Planeary Interior 58, 1989, 277–288 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0031-9201(89)90100-310.1016/0031-9201(89)90100-3Search in Google Scholar
[23] Martin M., Ritter J. R., High-resolution teleseismic body-wave tomography beneath SE Romania I. Implication for three-dimensional versus onedimensional crustal correction strategies with a new crustal velocity model, Geophysical Journal International 162, 2005, 448–460 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2005.02661.x10.1111/j.1365-246X.2005.02661.xSearch in Google Scholar
[24] Stanica D., Stanica D. A., Constraints on Correlation between the Anomalous Behaviour of Electromagnetic Normalized Functions (ENF) and the Intermediate Depth Seismic Events Occurred in Vrancea Zone (Romania), Terrestrial Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences 21, 2010, 675–683 http://dx.doi.org/10.3319/TAO.2009.09.09.01(T)10.3319/TAO.2009.09.09.01(T)Search in Google Scholar
[25] Demetrescu C., Wilhelm H., Tumanian M., Nielsen S. B., Damian A., Dobrica V., Ene M., Timedependent thermal state of the lithosphere in the foreland of the Eastern Carpathians bend-Insights from new geothermal measurements and modeling results, Geophysical Journal International 170, 2007, 896–912 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2007.03408.x10.1111/j.1365-246X.2007.03408.xSearch in Google Scholar
[26] NOAA KLM user’s guide 2006, http://www2.ngdc...noaa.gov/docs/klm/html/c7/sec7-1.htm Search in Google Scholar
[27] Gruber A., Krueger A. F., The status of the NOAA outgoing long wave radiation data set, Bulletin American Meteorology Society 65, 1984, 958–962 http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477(1984)065<0958:TSOTNO>2.0.CO;210.1175/1520-0477(1984)065<0958:TSOTNO>2.0.CO;2Search in Google Scholar
[28] Cervone G., Kafatos M., Napoletani D., Singh R. P., Wavelet maxima curves of surface latent heat flux associated with two recent Greek earthquakes, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 4, 2004, 359–374 http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/nhess-4-359-200410.5194/nhess-4-359-2004Search in Google Scholar
[29] Cervone G., Kafatos M., Singh R. P., Yu C., Wavelet maxima curves of surface latent heat flux associated with Indian earthquakes, Matural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 5, 2005, 87–99 http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/nhess-5-87-200510.5194/nhess-5-87-2005Search in Google Scholar
[30] Saraf A. K., Rawat V., Choudhury S., Dasgupta S., Das J., Advances in understanding of the mechanism for generation of earthquake thermal precursors detected by satellites, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation 11, 2009, 373–379 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2009.07.00310.1016/j.jag.2009.07.003Search in Google Scholar
[31] Pulinets S., Ozounov D., Karelin A. V., Boyarchuk K. A., Pokhmelnykh L. A., The physical nature of thermal anomalies observed before strong earthquakes, Physics and Chemistry of the Earth 31, 2006, 143–153 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2006.02.04210.1016/j.pce.2006.02.042Search in Google Scholar
© 2014 Versita Warsaw
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.
