ULF electromagnetic precursors for an earthquake at Biak, Indonesia on February 17, 1996

Abstract

ULF electromagnetic emissions associated with a large earthquake occurred at Biak Island, Indonesia at 5h 59m UT on February 17, 1996 (magnitude (Mw) = 8.2 and depth = 20 km from USGS catalog), have been investigated on the basis of ULF magnetic observations at two stations, Biak and Darwin in Australia (about 1,200 km apart). Though a simple analysis of magnetic field intensity (horizontal and vertical magnetic field components) at both stations was found to be closely correlated with geomagnetic ΣKp activity, a detailed analysis of the difference of H and Z components at the two stations, the polarization analysis (Z/H) and fractal analysis (frequency spectrum slope) at these two stations has yielded that the ULF emissions (in the frequency range from 5 mHz to 30 mHz) about 1.5-1.0 months before the quake are likely to be a precursory signature of the quake with its intensity on the order of 0.2-0.3 nT.