The study of local sources of ULF geoelectric signals with steep fronts

Abstract

The method for recognition and monitoring of ULF electrotelluric signals with steep fronts is presented. The method is based on the multicomponent measurements of the geoelectric field and recognition of the clusters of signals using the data of spatial-polarization filtering. This detects the local sources of the signals associated with the variation of mode of deformation of the medium. The method was applied to the study of geoelectric sources associated with aftershocks of the Racha-Djava earthquake. The field observations show with a fair degree of confidence that these signals are generated by a small number of local zones in the vicinity of the observer (at a range of tens-hundreds meters). The spatial distribution and the dynamic properties of the local sources are described. The analysis of observations leads to the conclusion that the dynamics of the local sources of ULF signals with steep fronts may be considered possible electrotelluric precursors of the earthquakes. Consideration is given to the feasibility of the well-known VAN method for earthquake prediction. The overall methodological aspects of the current studies of the electrotelluric precursors of the earthquakes are discussed.