CASE 27 - THERMAL INFRARED ANOMALY PRECURSOR OF IMPENDING EARTHQUAKES

People have already recognized the temperature increase anomaly before earthquakes, and studies have been made on this phenomenon (WU, 1980; WU et al., 1982; GENG, 1985). With the method of fixed-point network observation, only the timing temperature data limited to some sites ca n be obtained instead of dynamic evolution data of the temperature in a large area within the seismogenic range. However, it is advantageous to use the thermal infrared (IR) radiation measured by Meteosat to de tect the ground temperature, because of the data accuracy, large area coverage, large amount of information, and the capability of capturing the time-space dynamic variation of the temperature increase before e arthquakes. However relevant works on the relationship of the thermal IR anomaly measured by Meteosat to seismic activity are only found pub lished in the Soviet Union (GORNUY et al., 1988). The authors used the thermal IR anomaly measured by Meteosat to monitor and tried to predi ct the earthquake of October 18, 1989 in Datong, Shanxi Province and o ther shocks, and obtained preliminary ideas and methods for carrying o ut predictions in this way.