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Over-the-Horizon Anomalous VHF Propagation and Earthquake Precursors

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to review current activities for the identification of earthquake (EQ) precursors and their epicentres. Starting with a brief description on the background to approaches using ultra-low (ULF), extremely low (ELF), very low/low (VLF/LF), medium (MF), high (HF), very high frequency (VHF) etc. radio waves for short-term EQ prediction, the paper concentrates on those characteristics of anomalous VHF reception from frequency-modulation (FM) radio transmissions and broadcast television (TV) signals in relation to EQ precursors. The possible ways to identify an impending EQ and its epicentre position as defined and observed by workers from a variety of studies fall within the purview of the paper. In attempts to find pre-EQ energy exchange and coupling processes between the lithosphere and atmosphere, the paper highlights some relevant observations of surface latent heat flux, sonic detection and ranging (SODAR) echograms and LF propagation. Explanations on possible causes leading to such anomalous reception are reviewed with reported results in association with pre-seismic induced modifications to tropospheric and ionospheric parameters.

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Acknowledgments

This work is, in part, supported by NICT (National Institute of Information Technology), Japan, to which we are grateful. The authors also acknowledge with thanks the partial financial support received from the UGC (University Grant Commission, India) and the DST (Department of Science and Technology, Government of India), for pursuing the work. They thank the referees and the Editor-in-Chief for their suggestions for improvement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Guwahati University, Guwahati, 781014, India

    M. Devi & A. K. Barbara

  2. IZMIRAN, Troitsk, Moscow Region, 142190, Russia

    Ya. Yu. Ruzhin

  3. Department of Electronic Engineering and Research Station on Seismo Electromagnetics, University of Electro-Communications, Chofu, Tokyo, 182-8585, Japan

    M. Hayakawa

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  1. M. Devi
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Devi, M., Barbara, A.K., Ruzhin, Y.Y. et al. Over-the-Horizon Anomalous VHF Propagation and Earthquake Precursors. Surv Geophys 33, 1081–1106 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-012-9185-z

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