Recent seismic activity at Cephalonia island (Greece): a study through candidate electromagnetic precursors in terms of nonlinear dynamics

Abstract

Abstract. The preparation process of two recent earthquakes (EQs) occurred in Cephalonia (Kefalonia) island, Greece, (38.22° N, 20.53° E), 26 January 2014, Mw =6.0, depth =21 km, and (38.25° N, 20.39° E), 3 February 2014, Mw =5.9, depth =10 km, respectively, is studied in terms of the critical dynamics revealed in observables of the involved non-linear processes. Specifically, we show, by means of the method of critical fluctuations (MCF), that signatures of critical, as well as tricritical, dynamics were embedded in the fracture-induced electromagnetic emissions (EME) recorded by two stations in locations near the epicenters of these two EQs. It is worth noting that both, the MHz EME recorded by the telemetric stations on the island of Cephalonia and the neighboring island of Zante (Zakynthos), reached simultaneously critical condition a few days before the occurrence of each earthquake. The critical characteristics embedded in the EME signals were further verified using the natural time (NT) method. Moreover, we show, in terms of the NT method, that the foreshock seismic activity also presented critical characteristics before each one of these events. Importantly, the revealed critical process seems to be focused on the area corresponding to the west Cephalonia zone, following the seismotectonic and hazard zoning of the Ionian Islands area near Cephalonia.