Earthquake Precursors in the Atmosphere and Ionosphere

This book discusses how the increased emanation of radon and other gases from the Earth’s crust in the vicinity of active tectonic faults triggers a chain of physical processes and chemical reactions in the atmospheric boundary layer and the Earth’s ionosphere over an earthquake area several days/hours before strong seismic shocks occur. It presents the two main concepts involved in this mechanism: atmosphere ionization and the global electric circuit. The Lithosphere-Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling (LAIC) concept is strongly supported by experimental data showing the atmospheric and ionospheric precursors for major recent earthquakes including 2004 Sumatra; 2008 Sichuan, China; 2011 Tohoku, Japan; and 2015 Nepal. The book not only addresses the theoretical considerations but also includes information on experimental techniques used for precursor observations based on the space-borne systems. Providing practical methods of precursor identification and interpretation, it is an excellenttextbook for graduate courses in geophysics, earthquake science, atmospheric physics and remote sensing. Moreover, it offers a wealth of information for scientists and experts from governmental and international agencies working in the fields of natural-disaster mitigation, response and recovery.