Investigation of the LAIC mechanism of the Haiti earthquake (August 14, 2021) using CSES-01 satellite observations and other earthquake precursors

Abstract

A powerful Mw = 7.2 earthquake occurred in Haiti on August 14, 2021 at 12:29:08 UTC (18.434° N, 73.482° W, depth ∼10 km). In this study, in a period of three months from June 1 to August 31, 2021, the variations in electron density and temperature parameters obtained from CSES-01 satellite measurements in the Dobrovolsky’s area the Haiti earthquake are considered. With the aim of investigating the proposed mechanisms for interactions between different layers of the Earth in the process of earthquakes (LAIC-Lithospheric Atmospheric Ionospheric Coupling), the behavior of 48 other precursors obtained from the data of other satellites in the same location and time period were analyzed. These precursors are 1) TEC obtained from GPS satellite data, 2) scalar and vector magnetic field data as well as electron density and temperature measured by the related sensors of three Swarm A, B and C satellites during day and night and 3) Variations in lithospheric and atmospheric parameters NO2 and SO2 obtained from OMI satellite measurements and also Ozone, carbon monoxide and surface temperature parameters obtained from AIRS data. By analyzing the above mentioned precursors, abnormal behaviors are observed around 30 and 50 days before the earthquake, and especially 1 to 15 days before the earthquake and by comparative study of the observed anomalies, possible LAIC mechanisms are discussed. The findings of this study can acknowledge the sequence of seismic anomalies observed in the lithosphere, then the atmosphere and finally the ionosphere. Therefore, this study once again emphasizes the necessity of performing multi-precursor analysis with the aim of justifying the LAIC mechanism and also observing seismically prone anomalies in the time period of about 10 days before powerful earthquakes.