Articles | Volume 1, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-1-107-2001
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-1-107-2001
30 Sep 2001
30 Sep 2001

Investigation of over-horizon VHF radio signals associated with earthquakes

Y. Fukumoto, M. Hayakawa, and H. Yasuda

Abstract. This paper presents the preliminary results on the possible reception of over-horizon VHF radio signals from a FM (frequency modulation) transmitter during abnormal situations (probably in close association with earthquakes). The transmitter is FM Sendai (frequency = 77.1 MHz) and the receiving station is our university (UEC) at Chofu, Tokyo, with the transmitter-receiver distance being about 310 km. We first show a typical example of the reception of over-horizon VHF signals in which we present the amplitude behavior, azimuthal and incident angle estimation, etc. Then, we study the correlation between a signal anomaly and an earthquake and it seems that the over-horizon VHF signals observed are probably associated with earthquakes, observed about 7 to 0 days before an earthquake. The direction finding measurements have indicated that such signals are due to favorable tropospheric (but not ionospheric) conditions attributed to the effects of earthquakes.

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