Quasi-static electric fields phenomena in the ionosphere associated with pre- and post earthquake effects

Abstract

Abstract. To prove a direct relationship between the quasi-static electric field disturbances and seismic activity is a difficult, but actual task of the modern ionosphere physics. This paper presents new results on the processing and analysis of the quasi-static electric field in the upper ionosphere (h=800–900 km) observed from the satellite INTERCOSMOS-BULGARIA-1300 over earthquakes' source regions (seismic data of World Data Center, Denver, Colorado, USA). Present research focuses on three main areas (i) development of methodology of satellite and seismic data selecting, (ii) data processing and observations of the quasi-static electric field (iii) study and accumulation of statistics of possible connection between anomalous vertical electric fields penetrating from the earthquake zone into the ionosphere, and seismic activity. The most appropriate data (for satellite orbits above sources of forthcoming or just happened seismic events) have been selected from more than 250 investigated cases.The increase of about 5-10-15 mV/m in the vertical component of the quasi-static electric field observed by INTERCOSMOS-BULGARIA-1300 during seismic activity over Southern Ocean, Greenland Sea, South-Weat Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Central America, South-East Pacific Ocean, Malay Archipelago regions are presented. These anomalies, as phenomena accompanying the seismogenic process, can be considered eventually as possible pre-, co- (coeval to) and post-earthquake effects in the ionosphere.