Radio emission associated with rock fracture: Possible application to the Great Chilean earthquake of May 22, 1960
Stress-induced piezoelectric fields produce freely propagating electromagnetic radiation when microscopic rock fractures occur in quartz-bearing rocks. A laboratory study is presented which shows that electromagnetic emissions are produced when microfractures occur in Westerly granite. A detailed model is presented for the emission process which allows an estimate of the total radiated power from an individual microfracture. On the basis of these results a case is presented that an unusual radio emission seen on several widely separated radio astronomy receivers in the northern hemisphere on May 16, 1960, was due to a stress-induced microfracture along the Chilean fault. This radio event occurred 6 days prior to the great Chilean earthquake of May 22, 1960, and may have been a precursor to one of the largest earthquakes of this century.
- Research Organization:
- Radiophysics, Inc., Boulder, Colorado 80301
- OSTI ID:
- 6771055
- Journal Information:
- J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Vol. 87:B4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
EARTHQUAKES
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
ROCK MECHANICS
GRANITES
PIEZOELECTRICITY
CHILE
FORESHOCKS
FRACTURE PROPERTIES
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ELECTRICITY
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
IGNEOUS ROCKS
LATIN AMERICA
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MECHANICS
PLUTONIC ROCKS
RADIATIONS
ROCKS
SEISMIC EVENTS
SOUTH AMERICA
580300* - Mineralogy
Petrology
& Rock Mechanics- (-1989)
580201 - Geophysics- Seismology & Tectonics- (1980-1989)