Earthquake, Volcano and Earth Rotation Harmonics

Volcano-earthquake interaction at Mauna Loa volcano, Hawaii

[1] The activity at Mauna Loa volcano, Hawaii, is characterized by eruptive fissures that propagate into the Southwest Rift Zone (SWRZ) or into the Northeast Rift Zone (NERZ) and by large earthquakes at the basal decollement fault. In this paper we examine the historic eruption and earthquake catalogues, and we test the hypothesis that the events are interconnected in time and space. Earthquake...

Degree-2 harmonics of the Earth’s mass load estimated from GPS and Earth rotation data

[1] A fluid, mobile atmosphere and oceans surrounds the solid Earth and upon its land surface lays a continually changing distribution of ice, snow, and ground water. The changing distribution of mass associated with the motion of these surficial fluids changes the Earth’s rotation by changing its inertia tensor and changes the Earth’s shape by changing the load on the solid Earth. It has recen...

A Perspective on Earthquake-Volcano Interactions

Introduction On average, some 120 strong earthquakes (M ≥ 6) and 60 volcanic eruptions occur somewhere in the world every year. Thus it shouldn’t be hugely surprising when news of a volcanic eruption follows news of a damaging earthquake somewhere else in the world by a week or less. Such newsworthy coincidences inevitably prompt the question from both the media and the public, “is this eruptio...

Time Measurement and Earth Rotation

Rotation harmonics for a numerical diatomic potential

The problem of the determination of the rotation harmonics 03A61, 03A62, ... for the case of a numerical diatomic potential is considered. These harmonics defined in a recent work by 03C8vJ = 03C8v0 + 03BB03A61 + 03BB2 03A62 + ··· (where 03C8vJ is the wave function of the vibration level v and the rotation level J, and 03BB = J(J + 1)) are studied for the case of the Dunham potential and for a ...