Seismo-ionospheric disturbance using principal component analysis — A study of Japan’s Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku earthquake on 13 June 2008

Abstract

This research uses Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to investigate global ionospheric integrated electron content map (GIM) anomalies corresponding to Japan’s Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku earthquake on 13 June 2008 (UT) (Mj = 7.2, JMA scale). The PCA transform is applied to GIMs for 20:00 to 22:00 on June 08, 11 and 12, 2008 (UT). To perform the transform, image processing is used to subdivide the GIMs into 100 (36° long. and 18° lat.) smaller maps to form transform matrices of dimensions 2 × 1. The transform allows for principal eigenvalues to be assigned to ionospheric integrated electron content anomalies. Anomalies are represented by large principal eigenvalues (i.e., >0.5 in a normalized set). The possibility of geomagnetic storms and solar flare activity affecting the results is done through examining the Dst index for corresponding days. The study shows that for the Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku earthquake, PCA possibly determined earthquake related ionospheric disturbances for the whole region, including the epi...