Abstract
Abstract. This paper presents a validation and confutation analysis using the methods of the robust satellite data analysis technique (RST) to detect seismic anomalies within the bi-angular Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) data based on spatial/temporal continuity analysis. The distinguishing feature of our method is that we carried out a comparative analysis of seismic anomalies from bi-directional observation, which could help understanding seismic thermal infrared (TIR) anomalies. The proposed method has been applied to analyse bi-angular AATSR gridded brightness temperature data with longitude from 5 to 25° E and latitude from 35 to 50° N associated with the earthquake that occurred in Abruzzo, Italy, on 6 April 2009, and a full data set of 7 yr data from 2003 to 2009 during the months of March and April has been analysed for validation purposes. Unperturbed periods (March–April 2008) have been considered for confutation analysis. Combining with the tectonic explanation of spatial and temporal continuity of the abnormal phenomena, along with the analysed results, a number of anomalies could be associated with possible seismic activities, which follow the same time and space. Therefore, we conclude that the anomalies observed from 29 March 2009 to 5 April 2009, about eight days before the Abruzzo earthquake, could be earthquake anomalies.
Highlights
Earthquake that occurred in Abruzzo, Italy, on 6 April 2009, models provide a possible explanation for the origin of and a full data set of 7 yr data from 2003 to 2009 during the months of March and April has been analysed for validation purposes
The first step in calculating the differential variable T is to build a cloud mask: hereinafter, we use the nadir-forward tests (Zavody et al, 2000), which are based on the idea that for clear pixels there should be correlation between the difference in bi-angular Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) brightness temperature between the nadir and forward view measurements at 11 and 12 μm brightness temperatures, since both depend on the atmospheric characteristics, principally the water vapour loading
This paper presents a validation and confutation analysis of the AATSR gridded brightness temperature data associated with the Abruzzo earthquake and explains how the anomalies discovered from the AATSR gridded brightness temperature data could be related to the earthquake
Summary
The AATSR onboard ESA’s Envisat spacecraft has three visible/near-infrared channels at 0.55, 0.67 and 0.87 μm, designed for remote-sensing applications over land and a visible channel at 1.6 μm which is used primarily for cloud clearing, as well as three channels at the thermal infrared wavelengths of 3.7, 11 and 12 μm, from which surface temperatures are derived over both sea and land. A special feature of the AATSR is its conical scanning mechanism to give a dual view of the Earth’s surface, first in the forward view at an angle of around 55◦, and 150 s later in the nadir view at an angle close to vertical (from 0 to 21.7◦). The AATSR data used in this paper are usually provided in so called Gridded Brightness Temperature/Reflectance (GBTR) product, which is the single Level 1B product from AATSR. It contains cloud-free top-of-atmosphere (TOA) brightness temperature (BT) values for the three infrared channels and reflectance values for the 1.6 μm and visible channels, and all pixels are co-located and resampled to a 1 km latitude–longitude grid (ESA, 2007).
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