The Influence of a Magnetic Storm on Tectonic Deformations and the Coast Effect

Records of 58 identical broadband seismograph stations were studied made during strong geomagnetic storms. Oscillations of periods of a few hours were studied. These were compared with synchronous variations of earth tides. Anomalous changes in deformation rate were observed after storms at stations installed near continent–ocean boundaries. They lasted a few days and had amplitudes of a few millimeters per minute.

A newly distinguished marine magnetotelluric coast effect sensitive to the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary

SUMMARY The marine magnetotelluric (MT) method is a useful tool for offshore studies aimed at, for example, hydrocarbon exploration and the understanding of Earth's tectonics. Marine MT data are often distorted by coastlines because of the strong resistivity contrast between the conductive ocean and the resistive land. At mid ocean ridges, the resistivity of Earth's structure can be assumed to be two-dimensional, which allows MT data to be decomposed into a transverse electrical (TE) mode, with electric current flowing approximately along the ridge, and a transverse magnetic (TM) mode, with electric current flowing perpendicular to the ridge. We collected marine MT data at the middle Atlantic Ridge which exhibited highly negative TM-mode phases, as large as –180°, at relatively high frequencies (0.1–0.01 Hz). Similar negative phases have been observed in other marine MT data sets, but have not been the subject of study. We show here that these negative phases are caused by a newly distinguished coast effect. The TM-mode coast effect is not only a galvanic effect, as previously understood, but also includes inductive distortions. TM-mode negative phases are caused by the turning of the Poynting vector, the phase change of electromagnetic fields, and vertically flowing currents in the seafloor. The findings provide a new understanding of the TM-mode coast effect, which can guide our ability to fit the field data with the inclusion of coastlines, and reduce misinterpretation of the data in offshore studies. The study also shows that the TM-mode coast effect is sensitive to the depth and conductivity of the asthenosphere, an important feature of the Earth's interior that was the object of our Atlantic Ocean study.

The geomagnetic coast effect at two 80° S stations in Antarctica, observed in the ULF range

We examined the coast effect in Antarctica along the 80∘ S magnetic parallel. We used the geomagnetic field measurements at the two coastal stations of Mario Zucchelli Station and Scott Base, and, as a reference, at the inland temporary station Talos Dome, during 18 January–14 March 2008. Spectral analysis in the Pc5 frequency range (1–7 mHz) revealed large differences between coastal and inland stations, such as higher spectral power levels in the vertical component and higher coherence between horizontal and vertical components at coastal stations. Using the interstation method on selected active time intervals, with Talos Dome as a remote reference station, we found that remote reference induction arrows are directed almost perpendicularly with respect to their respective coastlines. Moreover, the single-station analysis shows that at Talos Dome the amplitude of the induction arrows is much smaller than at coastal stations. These results clearly indicate that coast effect at a few hundred kilometers from the coastline is relatively small. The coast effect on polarization parameters was examined, for a Pc5 event that occurred on 11 March 2008. The results evidenced that the azimuthal angle of polarized signals at one of the coastal stations is largely different with respect to the inland station (by ∼ 110∘), while the polarization ratio and ellipticity attain comparable values. We proposed a correction method of the polarization parameters, which operates directly in the frequency domain, obtaining comparable azimuthal angles at coastal and inland stations. Keywords. Ionosphere (wave propagation) – magnetospheric physics (polar cap phenomena; storms and substorms)

Quantitative influence of coast effect on geomagnetically induced currents in power grids: a case study

In recent years, several magnetic storms have disrupted the normal operation of power grids in the mid-low latitudes. Data obtained from the monitoring of geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) indicate that GIC tend to be elevated at nodes near the ocean-land interface. This paper discusses the influence of the geomagnetic coast effect on GIC in power grids based on geomagnetic data from a coastal power station on November 9, 2004. We used a three-dimensional (3D) Earth conductivity model to calculate the induced electric field using the finite element method (FEM), and compared it to a one-dimensional (1D) layered model, which could not incorporate a coastal effect. In this manner, the GIC in the Ling’ao power plant was predicted while taking the coast effect into consideration in one case and ignoring it in the other. We found that the GIC predicted by the 3D model, which took the coastal effect into consideration, showed only a 2.9% discrepancy with the recorded value, while the 1D model underestimated the GIC by 23%. Our results demonstrate that the abrupt lateral variations of Earth conductivity structures significantly influence GIC in the power grid. We can infer that high GIC may appear even at mid-low latitude areas that are subjected to the coast effect. Therefore, this effect should be taken into consideration while assessing GIC risk when power networks are located in areas with lateral shifts in Earth conductivity structures, such as the shoreline and the interfaces of different geological structures.

Geomagnetic coast effect at two Croatian repeat stations

<p>Knowledge of inductive effects is important for the reliability of geomagnetic surveys as well as reduction of measurements, and hence for the accuracy of models and maps of the Earth’s magnetic field. Detection of anomalous induced fields, due to the geomagnetic coast effect, was carried out by the transfer function method to estimate the induction arrows indicating areas of anomalous induced currents. To determine the transfer function at the two coastal Croatian repeat stations used in this study, the so-called geomagnetic plane-wave events from July 2010 were used. Analysis of transfer functions for Krbavsko polje and Sinjsko polje first order repeat stations, using observatories Grocka and Tihany as references, revealed the existence of the Adriatic coastal effect on periods of 10-65 minutes.</p>

Evaluation of seismo-electric anomalies using magnetic data in Taiwan

The Parkinson vectors derived from 3-component geomagnetic data via the magnetic transfer function are discussed with respect to epicentre locations and hypocentre depths of 16 earthquakes (M ≥ 5.5) in Taiwan during a period of 2002–2005. To find out whether electric conductivity changes would happen particularly in the seismoactive depth ranges, i.e. in the vicinity of the earthquake foci, the frequency dependent penetration depth of the electromagnetic waves (skin effect) is taken into account. The background distributions involving the general conductivity structure and the coast effect at 20 particular depths are constructed using the Parkinson vectors during the entire study period. The background distributions are subtracted from the time-varying monitor distributions, which are computed using the Parkinson vectors within the 15-day moving window, to remove responses of the coast effect and underlying conductivity structure. Anomalous depth sections are identified by deviating distributions and agree with the hypocentre depths of 15 thrust and/or strike-slip earthquakes with only one exception of a normal fault event.