Magnetic anomalies possibly linked to local low seismicity

Abstract

During the last twenty years a time-synchronized network of magnetometers has operated in Central Italy along the Apennine chain to monitor the magnetic field anomalies eventually related to the tectonic activity. At present time the network consists of five stations. In the past only few anomalies in the local geomagnetic field, possibly associated to earthquakes, has been observed, not least because the network area has shown a low-moderate seismic activity with the epicentres of the few events with Ml≥5 located away from the network station. During 2007 two Ml≈4 earthquakes occurred in proximity of two stations of the network. Here we report the magnetic anomalies in the geomagnetic field that could be related with these tectonic events. To better investigate these two events a study of ULF (ultra-low-frequency) emissions has been carried out on the geomagnetic field components H, D, and Z measured in L’Aquila Observatory during the period from January 2006 to December 2008. We want to stress that this paper refers to the period before the 2009 L’Aquila seismic sequence which main shock (Ml=5.8) of 6 April heavily damaged the medieval centre of the city and surroundings. At present time the analysis of the 2009 data is in progress.