Satellite thermal IR phenomena associated with some of the major earthquakes in 1999–2003

Abstract

Satellite thermal infrared (TIR) imaging data have recorded short-lived anomalies prior to major earthquakes and associations with fault systems. Others have proposed that these signals originate from electromagnetic phenomena associated with pre-seismic processes, causing enhanced IR emissions, that we are calling TIR anomalies. The purpose of this exploratory study is to verify if TIR anomalies can be found in association with known earthquakes by systematically applying satellite data analysis techniques to imagery recorded prior-to and immediately after large earthquakes. Our approach utilizes both a mapping of surface TIR transient fields from polar orbiting satellites and co-registering geosynchronous weather satellites images. The significance of these observations was explored using data sets of recent worldwide strong earthquakes (1999–2003) and the techniques used to capture the trace of TIR anomalies.