Seismic infrared anomalies detection in the case of the Wenchuan earthquake using bi-angular advanced along-track scanning radiometer data

Pan Xiong Pan Xiong,Liming Zhao Liming Zhao,Yanhua Zhao Yanhua Zhao,Qingyan Meng Qingyan Meng,Xingfa Gu Xingfa Gu,Jianting Dong Jianting Dong,Yan Li Yan Li,Xuhui Shen Xuhui Shen

doi:10.4401/ag-6706

Abstract

<p>The paper has developed Robust Satellite data analysis Technique (RST) to detect seismic anomalies in the case of the Wenchuan earthquake occurred on May 12, 2008, using the bi-angular Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) gridded brightness temperature (BT) data based on spatial/temporal continuity and confutation analysis. The proposed method has been applied to analyze the Wenchuan earthquake with longitude from 95°E to 111°E and latitude from 23°N to 39°N, and a full data-set of 7 years data from 2003 to 2009 during the months of April and May has been analyzed. Combining with the rupture structure data of the Wenchuan earthquake, the analyzed results indicate that: the main structure activity (the Yingxiu-Beichuan fault) characteristics of the Wenchuan earthquake can be identified and extracted using the bi-angular AATSR nadir and forward brightness temperature data, and the seismic infrared radiation anomalies detected by the AATSR nadir brightness temperature is more close to the Yingxiu-Beichuan fault.</p>

Highlights

In the past 20 years, with the development of satellite remote sensing, the infrared remote sensing data has become increasingly abundant, which provides guarantee for the study of earthquake infrared remote sensing, and the study of earthquake infrared remote sensing has made great progress
Top-of-atmosphere brightness temperature (BT) data from April 6, 2008, to May 13, 2008, we get the curves of results of the RETIRA index computation on the investigated area before and after the Wenchuan earthquake using Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) nadir view and forward view data
Nadir view From the results of the RETIRA index computed on the investigated area before and after the Wenchuan earthquake using AATSR BT data from April 6, 2008, to April 26, 2008 (Figure 3), the feature of the anomalies could be summarized as follows: 1) From April 6, obvious infrared radiation anomalies appeared along the Yingxiu-Beichuan fault of the northeast epicenter

Summary

Introduction

In the past 20 years, with the development of satellite remote sensing, the infrared remote sensing data has become increasingly abundant, which provides guarantee for the study of earthquake infrared remote sensing, and the study of earthquake infrared remote sensing has made great progress These studies analytically compare images of pre (vs post) earthquake satellite TIR imagery [Tronin et al 2002]; study outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) data and identify anomalous variations prior to a number of medium to large earthquakes [Defu et al 1997, Ouzounov et al 2007, Xiong et al 2010]; perform a multispectral thermal infrared component analysis during earthquakes by using Land Surface Temperature [Ouzounov and Freund. This technique has already been validated in the case of many earthquakes [Tramutoli et al 2001, Filizzola et al 2004, Corrado et al 2005, Tramutoli 2005, Aliano et al 2007, Xiong et al 2013]

Methods

Results

Conclusion