TEC variations over the Mediterranean during the seismic activity period of the last quarter of 2005 in the area of Greece

Abstract

In this paper the Total Electron Content (TEC) data of eight Global Positioning System (GPS) stations of the EUREF network (AUT1, Thessaloniki, TUC2, Crete in Greece, MATE, Matera, LAMP, Lampedusa in Italy, GAIA, in Portugal, RABT, Rabat, EVPA, Evpatoria in Ukrain and TRAB, Trabson in Turkey) were analysed using wavelet analysis in order to detect any frequency dependence of the correlation between TEC over different stations. In the same time frequency dependence of Dst (Global geomagnetic field disturbances) and TEC variations over each GPS station are searched in order to detect any correlation between them. The main conclusion of this analysis is that the components of TEC variation with periods <3 h are more suitable in searching for earthquake precursors. On the base of this conclusion the analyzed TEC series are searched for possible precursory phenomena on the occasion of the seismic activity of the last quarter of 2005 in the area of Greece. An exalting (i.e. an increase in the amplitude) of variations with periods up to the tidal ones (period of 6 h,8 h,12 h) may be observed a month before and during the seismic activity over the stations TUC2 and AUT1 and may be attributed to this tectonic activity. Statistical properties of the 1.5 h component of the Total Vertical Electron Content (TVEC) over the nearest GPS stations (TUC2 and AUT1) of the areas of the seismic activity indicate that this component present characteristic exalting in the time period of 15 days before the shock.