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Ann. Geophys., 24, 835-849, 2006
www.ann-geophys.net/24/835/2006/
© European Geosciences Union 2006
Thermal, atmospheric and ionospheric anomalies around the time of the Colima M7.8 earthquake of 21 January 2003
S. A. Pulinets1, D. Ouzounov2, L. Ciraolo3, R. Singh4, G. Cervone5, A. Leyva1, M. Dunajecka6, A. V. Karelin7, K. A. Boyarchuk8, and A. Kotsarenko9
1Institute of Geophysics, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico
2NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/SSAI, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
3Institute of Applied Physics “Nello Carrara", CNR, Florence, Italy
4Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India
5George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
6Institute of Geography, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico
7IZMIRAN, Russian Academy of Sciences, Troitsk, Russia
8NPP VNIIEM, Moscow Russia
9Institute of Geosciences, UNAM, Mexico
Abstract. The paper examines the possible relationship of anomalous variations of
different atmospheric and ionospheric parameters observed around the time of
a strong earthquake (Mw 7.8) which occurred in Mexico (state of Colima) on
21 January 2003. These variations are interpreted within the framework of the
developed model of the Lithosphere-Atmosphere-Ionosphere coupling. The main
attention is focused on the processes in the near ground layer of the atmosphere
involving the ionization of air by radon, the water molecules' attachment to the
formed ions, and the corresponding changes in the latent heat. Model considerations
are supported by experimental measurements showing the local diminution of
air humidity one week prior to the earthquake, accompanied by the anomalous
thermal infrared (TIR) signals and surface latent heat flux (SLHF) and
anomalous variations of the total electron content (TEC) registered over the
epicenter of the impending earthquake three days prior to the main earthquake
event. Statistical processing of the data of the GPS receivers network,
together with various other atmospheric parameters demonstrate the
possibility of an early warning of an impending strong earthquake.
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