Airglow and magnetic field disturbances over Brazilian region during Chile tsunami (2015)

TL;DR

This study reports atmospheric disturbances over Brazil following the 2015 Chile tsunami, observed via all-sky imaging and magnetometry, indicating a possible tsunamigenic or seismogenic atmospheric response.

Contribution

First report of atmospheric disturbances over Brazil linked to the 2015 Chile tsunami, demonstrating remote atmospheric effects of seismic events.

Findings

Disturbances observed 1-3 hours after tsunami onset

Atmospheric response similar to 2011 Tohoku-Oki tsunami

Disturbances likely of tsunamigenic or seismogenic origin

Abstract

In this work, we present first report on disturbances over Brazilian atmosphere on 16--17 September, 2015 following the Chile tsunami occurrence. Using all-sky imager and magnetometer located at 2330 km away from the epicenter, the presence of disturbances is noted 1--3 hours after the tsunami beginning time and during time which seismic tremor was also felt in the region. We argue that their presence towards continent at 2000-3000 km away from the epicenter offers another example of similar atmospheric response as those observed during Tohoku-Oki tsunami, 2011. This similarity and their appearance during seismic tremor over the region classify them to be of tsunamigenic and/or seismogenic nature.