Is land surface temperature an earthquake precursor?

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial TechnologiesThis study aims to investigate and explain the land surface temperature variations before and after the earthquake of August 11, 2012 that struck Iran, by making critical considerations of weather factors. This goal underlies two main objectives. The first objective was to detect land surface temperature anomalies over time in respect to the day of the earthquake, and over space relative to the location of the earthquake epicentre. The other main objective was to determine whether the detected anomalies originated from the weather, or the earthquake. To meet these objectives, observations of remote sensing land surface temperature, near-ground air temperature and air temperature of multiple atmospheric levels were used. All the datasets were daily night-time observations extending to a period of five years, repeatedly from July 11, to August 31. All the observations of the three datasets were visualized in space and time to seek anomalous temperature patterns. The results showed several prominent land surface temperature increases over the 5-year period, but none of them fell out a few days before the earthquake. The most enduring land surface temperature increase occurred two days after the earthquake. In contrast to the land surface temperature, air temperature exhibited the sharpest anomalies of the entire period a few days before the earthquake. Both the air and the land surface temperature increased periodically few times within the 5-year period. The high temperature patterns that were detected in the near-ground air also matched in time with the patterns found in the temperature of multiple atmospheric levels. All three approaches undertaken in this study were consistent with each-other in terms of results. Based on those results, it was concluded that there were no land surface temperature anomalies in the expected few days before the earthquake. All the detected temperature increases were indeed seasonal patterns repeating roughly in the same period of the year, and in the same spatial extent and intensity. These warm patterns were due to normal weather cycles. The sharp air temperature anomalies detected in the few days preceding the earthquake may suggest that the focus, if thermal precursors exist at all, should indeed be set on the air temperature instead of land surface temperature

Space-time patterns of temperature in Sweden and Europe

Sulçe, A., Drate , P., Costa, A. C., & Painho, M. (2012). Space-time patterns of temperature in Sweden and Europe. In DV. Jérôme Gensel DJ (Ed.), Multidisciplinary Research on Geographical Information in Europe and Beyond: Proceedings of the AGILE'2012 International Conference on Geographic Information Science, Avignon, France, 24-27 April (pp. 343-344). Avignon: AGILE.publishersversionpublishe