Thermal infrared geostationary satellite sensor data application for prediction and monitoring earthquake in Algeria

Abstract

The modern operational space-borne optical sensors in the thermal infrared spectrum allow monitoring of the Earth’s thermal field for detection of pre-earthquake thermal infrared (TIR) anomaly in land surface temperature in and around epicentral areas. Based on the concept that stress in rocks in tectonically-active regions may be manifested as temperature variation through energy transformation process, remote sensing-based thermal technique has been employed recently. A new method called Active Earthquake Prediction Algorithm (AEPA) using an acquired thermal infrared time series satellite sensors datasets is developed and applied in this research. This approach can depict some anomalous increases in surface temperature that occur before an earthquake. Some past earthquakes in Algeria were analysed for studying successively before, during and after, and spatially close to, a significant earthquake continuous satellite data recording. The study was successful in detecting pre-earthquake thermal anomalies prior to all these natural disasters.