A.M. Galper, S.V. Koldashov, A.M. Murashov, Yu.V. Ozerov, S.A. Voronov,
S. Aleksandrin,
Moscow State Engineering Physics Institute
The existence of correlation between short-term variations (bursts) of high-energy charged particle fluxes in
the near-Earth space and the seismic activity was pointed out in the end of eighties. This conclusion was
made on the base of results obtained in MARIA experiment on board SALYUT 7 orbital station. This
experiment has been carried out in 1985.
Then, the detailed study of electron and proton flux variations under the radiation belt was continued by
means of MARIA 2 magnetic spectrometer on board MIR orbital station, and by the instruments
ELECTRON on board INTERCOSMOS BULGARIA 1300 and METEOR 3 satellites3, . The results of
these experiments confirmed the conclusion for correlation between short-term sharp increases of particle
intensities and seismic processes. Moreover, it was found that the particle flux variations appeared 2 4 hours
before the main shock of strong earthquakes. This means that the earthquake precursors in the near-Earth
space were experimentally observed.
Using analysis of spatial distributions of particle bursts and strong earthquakes with magnitude more than 4, it
was also shown that the forthcoming earthquake and its precursor (burst) are situated at the same drift shell.
The explanation of this phenomenon is connected with local disturbance of the particle flux in radiation belt
caused by ultra low frequency (ULF) electromagnetic emission (EME), generated in forthcoming
earthquake epicenter and propagated upwards into near-Earth space. It should be mentioned that frequencies
of the YLF EME practically coincides with frequencies of bounce oscillations of high energy particles
trapped by geomagnetic field.
This emission, as it was shown in some of ground-based experimental observations, was created in the
earthquake epicenter several hours before the main shock and could propagate into magnetosphere8. There it
interacts with particles trapped by geomagnetic field and results in particle precipitation from radiation belt.
These precipitated particles drift around the Earth along L shell, which corresponds to the earthquake
epicenter position. The wave of precipitated particles is created by this process, and can make one or more
revolutions around the Earth (GKV effect).
Later, in 1992, two experimental works dedicated to analysis of experimental data obtained on board
METEOR 3A and OREOL 3 satellites were published. Authors searched for the seismo-magnetosphere
correlations and confirmed the existence of mentioned above phenomenon.
Here we present the results of new analysis of short-term variations of high-energy charged particle fluxes on
the base of experimental data of GAMMA and SAMPEX satellites, and comparison of these results with
experimental data described above.
P.S. Full version of the article will appear later in
"Urania"
Added by Sergei Popov
