Earthquake prediction method and system thereof

• US 7,280,919 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2004
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Mobiling Limited (Marubeni Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Mobiling Limited (Marubeni Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Toshio, Yomoda, Tomonari
• Primary Examiner(s): McElheny, Jr.; Donald E
• Application Number:
  US10/529,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20050280421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 702/15, 702/14, 702/2, 702/5, 702/7
• US Class Current: 702/15
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/01 Measuring or predicting earthquakes

Abstract

Vehicles or ships each carry a magnetic force line sensor, a GPS position detector, and a data transmitter and travel within an observation area transmitting magnetic field data and position data to an earthquake prediction center. A telluric current induction field estimation unit of the earthquake prediction center estimates telluric current induction fields based on the received observation data. A telluric current estimation unit estimates telluric currents based on the results of estimating the telluric current induction fields. A telluric current induction field intensity change pattern generation unit generates patterns indicating the change over time of the intensity of telluric current induction fields. An earthquake prediction unit analyzes the state of distribution of the telluric currents and the patterns of change in the intensities of the telluric current induction fields and estimates a seismofocal zone, seismic intensity, and time of occurrence of a seismic event.

Claims

1. An earthquake prediction method comprising:

observing magnetic field vectors of magnetic fields within an observation area;

estimating telluric current induction field vectors and telluric currents based on vector differences between the observed magnetic field vectors and a geomagnetic vector;

collating and comparing a change over time of the estimated telluric currents and a state of the estimated telluric currents within the observation area, with past patterns of change over time of telluric currents and a state of the telluric currents; and

estimating a seismofocal zone, time of occurrence, and seismic intensity of a seismic event based on the comparison.

2. The earthquake prediction method according to claim 1, further comprising:

eliminating a magnetic field noise component at observation points from observed magnetic fields;

finding an amount of divergence between a direction of a magnetic fields from which said magnetic field noise component has been eliminated and a direction of true north; and

estimating said telluric current induction field vectors based on vector differences between observed magnetic field vectors from which said magnetic field noise component has been eliminated and a geomagnetic vector that has been corrected to true north.

3. The earthquake prediction method according to claim 2, wherein estimating telluric current induction field vectors and telluric currents comprises:

plotting said estimated telluric current induction field vectors on a map; and

estimating said telluric currents by joining points on the map at which geomagnetic abnormalities are recognized and applying Ampere'"'"'s right-handed screw rule.

4. The earthquake prediction method according to claim 1, wherein estimating telluric current induction field vectors and telluric currents comprises:

plotting said estimated telluric current induction fields on a map; and

estimating a seismofocal zone at an area in which said estimated telluric currents are concentrated.

5. The earthquake prediction method according to claim 4, further comprising:

gathering past data of telluric current induction field intensities of the estimated seismofocal zone;

generating a telluric current induction field intensity change pattern that indicates change over time;

collating and comparing the telluric current induction field density change pattern with past telluric current induction field intensity change patterns that have been stored; and

estimating said time of occurrence and seismic intensity of a seismic event.

6. An earthquake prediction method according to claim 2, wherein:

said magnetic field noise component is a change in magnetic field that is observed at fixed time intervals at a fixed observation point; and

eliminating said magnetic field noise component comprises analyzing characteristics of a pattern of the change in magnetic fields that is observed at fixed time intervals as a fixed observation point and extracting the magnetic field noise component from observed magnetic fields.

7. An earthquake prediction method according to claim 2, wherein estimating said telluric currents comprises using Ampere'"'"'s right-handed screw rule based on said estimated telluric current induction field vectors of a plurality of points.

8. An earthquake prediction method according to claim 2, wherein estimating said telluric currents comprises using Ampere'"'"'s right-handed screw rule based on said estimated telluric current induction field vectors of a plurality of points that form a loop.