Recent seismic activity at Cephalonia (Greece): a study through
candidate electromagnetic precursors in terms of non-linear
dynamics
Stelios M. Potirakis1,Yiannis Contoyiannis1,Nikolaos S. Melis2,John Kopanas3,George Antonopoulos3,Georgios Balasis4,Charalampos Kontoes4,Constantinos Nomicos5,and Konstantinos Eftaxias6Stelios M. Potirakis et al.Stelios M. Potirakis1,Yiannis Contoyiannis1,Nikolaos S. Melis2,John Kopanas3,George Antonopoulos3,Georgios Balasis4,Charalampos Kontoes4,Constantinos Nomicos5,and Konstantinos Eftaxias6
1Department of Electronics Engineering, Piraeus University
of Applied Sciences (TEI of Piraeus), 250 Thivon and P. Ralli, Aigalao,
Athens, 12244, Greece
2Institute of Geodynamics, National Observatory of Athens,
Lofos Nimfon, Thissio, Athens, 11810, Greece
3Department of Environmental Technologists, Technological
Education Institute (TEI) of the Ionian islands, Zakynthos, 29100,
Greece
4Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications
and Remote Sensing, National Observatory of Athens, Metaxa and Vasileos
Pavlou, Penteli, Athens, 15236, Greece
5Department of Electronics Engineering, Technological
Education Institute (TEI) of Athens, Ag. Spyridonos, Aigaleo, Athens,
12210, Greece
6Department of Physics, Section of Solid State Physics,
University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15784, Zografos, Athens,
Greece
1Department of Electronics Engineering, Piraeus University
of Applied Sciences (TEI of Piraeus), 250 Thivon and P. Ralli, Aigalao,
Athens, 12244, Greece
2Institute of Geodynamics, National Observatory of Athens,
Lofos Nimfon, Thissio, Athens, 11810, Greece
3Department of Environmental Technologists, Technological
Education Institute (TEI) of the Ionian islands, Zakynthos, 29100,
Greece
4Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications
and Remote Sensing, National Observatory of Athens, Metaxa and Vasileos
Pavlou, Penteli, Athens, 15236, Greece
5Department of Electronics Engineering, Technological
Education Institute (TEI) of Athens, Ag. Spyridonos, Aigaleo, Athens,
12210, Greece
6Department of Physics, Section of Solid State Physics,
University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15784, Zografos, Athens,
Greece
Received: 02 Oct 2015 – Discussion started: 04 Dec 2015 – Revised: 15 Feb 2016 – Accepted: 06 Jul 2016 – Published: 04 Aug 2016
Abstract. The preparation process of two recent earthquakes (EQs) that occurred in Cephalonia (Kefalonia), Greece, ((38.22° N, 20.53° E), 26 January 2014, Mw = 6.0, depth ∼ 20 km) and ((38.25° N, 20.39° E), 3 February 2014, Mw = 5.9, depth ∼ 10 km), respectively, is studied in terms of the critical dynamics revealed in observables of the involved non-linear processes. Specifically, we show, by means of the method of critical fluctuations (MCF), that signatures of critical, as well as tricritical, dynamics were embedded in the fracture-induced electromagnetic emissions (EMEs) recorded by two stations in locations near the epicentres of these two EQs. It is worth noting that both the MHz EMEs recorded by the telemetric stations on the island of Cephalonia and the neighbouring island of Zante (Zakynthos) reached a simultaneously critical condition a few days before the occurrence of each earthquake. The critical characteristics embedded in the EME signals were further verified using the natural time (NT) method. Moreover, we show, in terms of the NT method, that the foreshock seismic activity also presented critical characteristics before each event. Importantly, the revealed critical process seems to be focused on the area corresponding to the western Cephalonia zone, following the seismotectonic and hazard zoning of the Ionian Islands area near Cephalonia.
Based on the methods of critical fluctuations and natural time, we have shown that the fracture-induced MHz electromagnetic emissions recorded by two stations in our network prior to two recent significant earthquakes that occurred in Cephalonia present criticality characteristics, implying that they emerge from a system in critical state.
Based on the methods of critical fluctuations and natural time, we have shown that the...
