The research reveals clear electromagnetic anomalies from various satellite data, potentially helping to develop early warning systems for earthquakes. According to a new study in the journal De Gruyter’s Journal of Applied GeodesyThanks to various anomalies in the ground, atmosphere and ionosphere that can be detected by satellites, earthquakes can reveal their impending presence much earlier than previously thought.

Developing early warning systems for earthquakes can be very useful in preventing death and destruction. One proposed method involves using satellites to monitor various physical and chemical parameters in the Earth, the atmosphere, and the layer of charged particles above them, called the ionosphere.

Problems in detecting earthquake precursors

Such anomalies are known as harbingers of earthquakes, and although researchers are aware of them, it has been difficult to pinpoint the pattern, called red flags that signal an impending earthquake. This is due to the complexity of the interaction of precursors and their variability in different earthquakes and geographical regions. But these patterns are slowly emerging with each earthquake that researchers analyze with increasingly advanced satellite technology.

Professor Mehdi Akhundzadeh from Tehran University evaluated various satellite data before and after the two earthquakes that occurred near the Turkish-Syrian border on February 6, 2023. These included data from China’s seismic-electromagnetic satellite CSES-01 and the European Space Agency’s three-satellite Swarm satellite mission.

Observation of anomalies before the earthquake

It is noteworthy that surface temperature anomalies in the earthquake region were observed 12-19 days before the earthquake, and atmospheric parameter anomalies were observed 5-10 days before the earthquake. This included measurements of water vapor, methane, ozone and carbon monoxide.

When Professor Akhoondzadeh investigated the anomalies, including measurements of parameters such as electron density and electron temperature in the ionosphere, he found clear and striking anomalies 1-5 days before the earthquakes.

When anomalies become evident on the ground, in the atmosphere, and in the ionosphere, respectively, this suggests that the signals originate from the ground and eventually become evident at higher levels of the atmosphere and finally in the ionosphere. Studying these events could pave the way for earthquake early warning systems, but researchers will need to evaluate other earthquakes in the future to better understand these patterns.

Professor Akhundzadeh said, “Using CSES-01 satellite data, anomalies in the ionosphere before the February 6, 2023 Turkey earthquake were detected for the first time.” “By examining anomalies associated with several earthquake precursors, the uncertainty in detecting true anomalies is reduced, which can be effective in creating earthquake warning systems with fewer false alarms.”