On the impact of the geospace environment on solar-lithosphere coupling and earthquake occurrence

TL;DR

This study explores the correlation between geomagnetic storms, radiation belt formation, and seismic activity, suggesting a possible two-way coupling between solar-magnetosphere interactions and earthquake occurrence.

Contribution

It provides observational evidence linking radiation belt creation after geomagnetic storms to increased seismic activity near magnetic footprints, proposing a novel solar-lithosphere coupling mechanism.

Findings

Seismic activity increased near magnetic footprints after radiation belt formation.

Strong earthquakes occurred within two months of radiation belt creation.

Evidence supports a two-way coupling between magnetospheric disturbances and lithospheric processes.

Abstract

We have found that about two months after creating a new radiation belt in the inner magnetosphere due to a geomagnetic storm, an increasing seismic activity may occur near the magnetic field lines' footprint of a newly created radiation belt. The Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) detected a new radiation belt after a geomagnetic storm on March 24, 1991. Shortly after that, on May 30, 1991, a strong M7.0 earthquake occurred in Alaska in the footprint of geomagnetic line L~2.69. Additionally, on October 28, 2012, a strong M7.8 earth-quake occurred in Canada near the footprint of L~3.3, which was close to the magnetic lines of a new radiation belt detected by a satellite "Van Allen Probes" after a geomagnetic storm on September 3, 2012. Seismic activity also increased near the magnetic field lines' footprint of a newly created radiation belt around L~1.5-1.8 due to a geomagnetic storm on June 21, 2015. We demonstrate the possible existence of two way of solar-lithosphere coupling processes : (i) the disturbances in the lithosphere, accompanying the earthquake preparation process, can modify the electric field in the global electric circuit (GEC), which results in appearing of disturbances in the ionosphere; and the vice-versa mechanism (ii) the solar wind-generated disturbances in the magnetosphere and ionosphere, can modify the electric field in the GEC, that will result in appearing of disturbances in the lithosphere