Systems for short-term prediction of earthquake parameters using ionospheric precursors
AssigneeIonoterra Ltd.
InventorNathan Blaunstein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of predicting parameters of an earthquake uses an array of ionosondes to scan an observed volume of an ionosphere located above a seismically active zone. The method includes monitoring ionograms provided by the array of ionosondes; detecting the presence of at least one seismic-induced irregularity (SII); determining a first predicted parameter corresponding to an epicenter location; and determining one or more predicted parameters selected from a group consisting of a magnitude, a time of occurrence, and a hypocenter depth. Algorithms for calculating the predicted parameters are presented in detail.
Claims17
A system for predicting parameters of an earthquake, the system comprising:
- an array of ionosondes configured to generate ionograms in response to one or more Seismic-Induced Irregularities (SIIs);
- an algorithm in communication with the array of ionosondes and configured to determine:
- a first predicted parameter corresponding to an epicenter location, and
- one or more predicted parameters selected from the group consisting of a magnitude, a time of occurrence, and a hypocenter depth,
- wherein the system is configured to determine the first predicted parameter based on at least:
- a time delay in each ionosonde of the array of ionosondes;
- and
- pairwise time delay differences between the ionosondes.
A system for predicting an epicenter location and a second predicted parameter of an earthquake, the system comprising:
- an array of ionosondes configured to generate ionograms in response to one or more Seismic-Induced Irregularities (SIIs);
- and
- an algorithm in communication with the array of ionosondes and configured to determine:
- an epicenter location associated with the earthquake, based on at least the SIIs, a time delay in each of at least four ionosondes, and at least three pairwise time delay differences, and
- a second predicted parameter associated with the earthquake, the second predicted parameter selected from the group consisting of a magnitude, a time of occurrence, and a hypocenter depth.
A system for predicting parameters associated with an earthquake, the system comprising:
- an array of ionosondes configured to generate ionograms in response to one or more Seismic-Induced Irregularities (SIIs);
- and
- an algorithm in communication with the array of ionosondes and configured to predict:
- an epicenter location associated with the earthquake, based on at least:
- the SIIs,
- a time delay in each of at least four ionosonde, and
- at least three pairwise time delay differences,
- a magnitude associated with the earthquake, based on at least:
- the SIIs,
- a probe frequency spectrum (f(h,t)),
- a relative frequency perturbation (δf/f0), and
- a charge density perturbation (δN/N0),
- a time of occurrence associated with the earthquake, based on at least:
- an intensity spectrum (I(f)) of small-scale plasma irregularities;
- a presence or absence in I(f) of frequency-selective fading;
- and
- a fading envelope of I(f), and
- a hypocenter depth associated with the earthquake, based on at least:
- the epicenter location;
- an intensity (IE) associated with the epicenter location;
- and
- the magnitude.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.