Masashi Hayakawa

• Dr. of Engineering, Emeritus Professor
• Professor Emeritus at University of Electro-Communications

The hadronic light-by-light scattering induces a substantial contribution to the muon $g-2$ with present accuracy of its measurement. The effect caused by the neutral pion through this scattering on the muon $g-2$ has been scrutinized intensively by model calculation and lattice QCD simulation. All of those estimates have been done based on one for...

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the effect of earthquake (EQ) preparation on changes in meteorological parameters. The two physical quantities of temperature (T)/relative humidity (Hum) and atmospheric chemical potential (ACP) have been investigated with the use of the Japanese meteorological “open” data of AMeDAS (Automated Meteorological...

В статье представлена оценка перенапряжения, наводимого на линии электропередачи сильноточной внутриоблачной молнией. Интенсивные импульсы тока с амплитудой до десятков (в редких случаях сотен) килоампер и длительностью порядка 10 мкс могут быть связаны либо с компактными внутриоблачными разрядами, либо с начальными импульсами пробоя. Поскольку соз...

In this study, we present a six-year (2014–2020) statistical analysis of VLF subionospheric propagation data at 19 VLF receivers from the VLF transmitter with call name JJI and frequency 22.2 kHz, all located in Japan. Moderate and strong earthquakes (EQs) (ML≥4.5 and depth ≤ 50 km) that occurred in the wider area around Japan during the same time...

The purpose of this paper is, first of all, to review the previous works on the seismic (or earthquake (EQ)-related) direct current (DC) (or quasi-stationary) electric fields in the lower atmosphere, which is likely to be generated by the conductivity current flowing in the closed atmosphere–ionosphere electric circuit during the preparation phase...

The preparation phase of earthquakes (EQs) has been investigated by making full use of multi-parameter and multi-layer observations of EQ precursors, in order to better understand the lithosphere–atmosphere–ionosphere coupling (LAIC) process. For this purpose, we chose a specific target EQ, the huge EQ of Fukushima-ken-oki EQ on 13 February 2021 (m...

Numerous studies have reported anomalous ultralow frequency (ULF) electromagnetic fields preceding earthquakes. In this paper, we estimate the current intensity responsible for generating the earthquake‐related ULF fields under the assumption that the origin is a current flowing at the hypocenter and that it has the same frequency dependence for al...

Short-term (with a lead time of about one week) earthquake (EQ) prediction is one of the most challenging subjects in geoscience and applied science; however, it is highly required by society because it is of essential importance in mitigating the human and economic losses associated with EQs. Electromagnetic precursors have recently been agreed to...

Geomagnetic field data have been found to contain earthquake (EQ) precursory signals; however, analyzing this high-resolution, imbalanced data presents challenges when implementing machine learning (ML). This study explored feasibility of principal component analyses (PCA) for reducing the dimensionality of global geomagnetic field data to improve...

It is well established that pre-and co-seismic irregularities in the earth's atmosphere highly depend on a set of parameters. According to the Lithosphere-Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling (LAIC) mechanism, these parameters are associated with various channels (thermal, chemical, acoustic, electromagnetic, etc.) through which an earthquake (EQ) prepar...

This study examines the response of the thermal channel within the Lithosphere–Atmosphere–Ionosphere Coupling (LAIC) mechanism during the notable earthquake in Crete, Greece, on 27 September 2021. We analyze spatio-temporal profiles of Surface Latent Heat Flux (SLHF), Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR), and Atmospheric Chemical Potential (ACP) using...

We study the sub-ionospheric VLF transmitter signals recorded by the Austrian Graz station in the year 2020. Those radio signals are known to propagate in the Earth-ionosphere waveguide between the ground and lower ionosphere. The Austrian Graz facility (geographic coordinates: 15.46°E, 47.03°N) can receive such sub-ionospheric transmitter signals,...

An anomalous increase in the level of Very Low Frequency (VLF) and Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) radio noise and the number of VLF atmospherics was observed during the explosive eruption of the Tonga volcano on January 15, 2022 at the Akademik Vernadsky station (65.246°S; 64.257°W) about 8870 km from the volcano. At the peak activity around 5 UT, t...

The observation of geomagnetic anomalies appearing prior to earthquakes (EQs) is theorized to be generated by the underground seismic processes. However, these pre-EQ anomalies can only provide ‘postdiction’ and are still inadequate for practical applications. So, the present study was conducted to pursue the long-term quest for real EQ prediction...

We describe the Schumann resonance (SR) anomalies associated with two earthquakes (EQs) observed in Japan in the spring of 2021. SR is the global electromagnetic phenomenon observed in the ELF (extremely low frequency) band, and its resonance peaks are observed in the power spectra on natural radio noise at frequencies of 8, 14, 20, Hz, etc. The na...

In this work we present the multi-method analysis of very low frequency (VLF) data, acquired by the radio receiver with call name UWA, located in Athens (Greece), in the University of West Attica, focusing on two strong ( ) earthquakes (EQs) that occurred in north-central mainland Greece sequentially, on 3 and 4 March 2021, with very close epicente...

This Special Issue of Annals of Geophysics is dedicated to present recent developments in the field of earthquake (EQ) precursors. Due to their potentially catastrophic nature, EQs have early attracted the attention of humans. During the last decades, a considerable amount of scientific effort has been devoted to the study of EQ precursors, aiming...

In this work we focus on eight strong (M ≥ 5.5) earthquakes (EQs) that happened very recently (2021-2022) in southeastern Mediterranean by analyzing the very low frequency (VLF) subionospheric propagation data, acquired from three receivers installed at the prefecture of Attica in Greece. We used the VLF data received from many transmitters, mainly...

The study presents seismogenic ULF (ultra-low-frequency) wave effects, as observed at our own new magnetic observatory at Asahi (geographic coordinates: 35.770° N, 140.695° E) in Chiba Prefecture. Our target earthquake (EQ) is a huge one offshore of Fukushima prefecture (37.353° N, 141.603° E) with a magnitude (M) of 7.4, which occurred at 20.59 h...

This paper addresses the accuracy of estimates for the contemporary level of global thunderstorm activity found from the synchronous records of integrated Schumann resonance (SR) intensity at two high-latitude observatories in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The results are based on numerical simulations of electromagnetic fields in the freq...

Plain Language Summary Tonga volcano exploded 15 January 2022. This catastrophic event was accompanied by huge lightning activity in the vicinity of volcano inside quickly expanding volcanic plume. Lightning activity in that volcanic cloud was so high that for several hours it significantly overrode the lightning activity of the whole planet. The E...

In this work, we present the analysis of VLF/LF sub-ionospheric propagation data to study anomalies possibly related to very recent strong (M > 5.5) earthquakes (EQs) that occurred in the southeastern Mediterranean in September–October 2021 and January 2022. We used the signal of one transmitter located at Negev in Israel (29.7 kHz) as received by...

We present the atmospheric anomalies instigated through seismogenic sources by a multichannel observation using ground- and satellite-based systems. This study emphasizes the seismic event which happened on the east coast of Japan, near the Fukushima Prefecture on November 21, 2016 (in UTC), with a magnitude of 6.9 and a depth of 11.4 km. We mainly...

We present the first report of global ionospheric disturbances due to the most powerful Gamma Ray Burst GRB221009A occurred on 9 October 2022. Very Low Frequency (VLF) and Low Frequency (LF) sub-ionospheric radio signals are used to diagnose the effect of the GRB on the lower ionosphere. Both daytime and nighttime effects are analyzed in VLF and LF...

We have carried out a preliminary study of the relationship between local seismicity and the behavior of atmospheric temperature and humidity based on data from the local seismic catalog and archival data from the Karimshina observatory in Kamchatka. The chemical potential of water vapor molecules contained in the surface layer of the atmosphere wa...

Very low frequency (VLF) signals are considered as an important tool to study ionosphere disturbances. We have studied variations in signal amplitude of the Japanese JJI transmitter received by a network of eight Japan stations. The distinctions between characteristics of daytime and nighttime disturbances are considered. Signal processing based on...

In this letter, we present the relation between source current intensity causing ULF electromagnetic emissions associated with earthquakes and the magnitude of earthquakes. For analyses, two assumptions are made: (1) the source currents flow near the hypocenter, and (2) they have the same frequency dependence for any events. To deduce the source cu...

In this study, we report atmospheric electric field (AEF) anomalies observed around the time of earthquakes (EQs) in Japan. Using a newly developed AEF observation network with three spatially separated stations in Japan (Chofu, Kakioka, and Iwaki), we conducted a study for two EQs that occurred within a few 100 km from the EQ epicenter under relat...

Lithosphere–atmosphere–ionosphere coupling (LAIC) is studied through various physical or chemical quantities, obtained from different sources, which are observables of the involved complex processes. LAIC has been proposed to be achieved through three major channels: the chemical, the acoustic, and the electromagnetic. Accumulated evidence supporti...

We present the variation of unusual atmospheric parameters, aerosols, to understand the pre-seismic irregularities for two major EQs in Japan. Here, we consider Aerosol Optical Depth and Angstrom Exponent data retrieved from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument onboard TERRA satellite to establish the possible connection...

In this work, we demonstrate the Natural time (NT) analysis of potential energy data that have been computed from temperature profiles that have been obtained from the "sounding atmosphere using broadband emission radiometry" (SABER) instrument, which is a part of a satellite called "thermosphere-ionosphere-mesosphere energetics and dynamics" (TIME...

In this study, we investigate the seasonal variation of sunrise and sunset terminator times of several VLF propagation paths based on 2-year long recordings (2020-2022) from the newly installed VLF/LF receiver UWA, installed in Athens (University of West Attica), by finding their relationship with local sunrise and sunset time. More specifically, i...

A new VLF/LF (10-47.5 kHz) radio receiver, established in 2020 at the University of West Attica (call sign UWA), is continuously monitoring the lower ionosphere, mainly aiming to find pre-seismic indications before earthquakes (EQs), as well as precursors associated with other extreme geophysical and space phenomena. The receiver records signals (a...

A VLF (10-47.5 kHz) radio receiver with call sign UWA has recently been installed at the University of West Attica in Athens (Greece) and is continuously monitoring the lower ionosphere by means of the receptions from many transmitters, in order to identify any possible pre-seismic signatures or other precursors associated with extreme geophysical...

Electromagnetic emissions (EMEs) associated with earthquake (EQ) epicenters are found to be one of the most reliable phenomena for the short-term pre-seismic mechanism of earthquakes. The detection mechanism of such emissions can have both direct and indirect techniques. In this manuscript, we attempted to present the signature of such emissions be...

Multi-parameter observations, powerful for the study of lithosphere–atmosphere–ionosphere coupling (LAIC), have been performed for a recent Tokyo earthquake (EQ) with a moderate magnitude (M = 5.9) and rather larger depth (~70 km) on 7 October 2021, in the hope of predicting the next Kanto (Tokyo) huge EQ, such as the 1923 Great Kanto EQ (with a ma...

Lower ionospheric perturbation during earthquake activity is well recognized by the anomalous behavior of Very Low or Low Frequency (VLF/LF) radio signal. In this study, we present the sub-ionospheric VLF signal modulation during the Samos earthquake that took place on October 30, 2020 (M = 6.9). We use the conventional terminator time method to ch...

We present results of concurrent observations of anomalous Schumann resonance (SR) signals during the major phase of eruption of Tonga volcano on 15 January 2022. The experimental data were recorded at French, Italian, Russian, and Japanese observatories that monitor natural electromagnetic signals in the ELF and ULF bands. The major phase of erupt...

We simulate numerically the propagation of slow-tail sferics, which occupy a wide frequency band from 1 Hz to 10 kHz, in the spherical Earth–ionosphere cavity. The TM wave generated by a vertical lightning discharge is considered. Classic engineering models of a lightning stroke are employed. The calculations use the Williams stroke model as the fi...

The gross charge distribution in an electrified cloud has already been estimated by polarity distribution of the electrostatic field on the ground surface. While either a dipole or a tripole charge structure is commonly accepted, the increase–decrease and motion of each point charge in those models are both still unclear. This paper presents a new...

Atmospheric disturbances caused by seismic activity are a complex phenomenon. The Lithosphere–Atmosphere–Ionosphere Coupling (LAIC) (LAIC) mechanism gives a detailed idea to understand these processes to study the possible impacts of a forthcoming earthquake. The atmospheric gravity wave (AGW) is one of the most accurate parameters for explaining s...

The authors would like to make the following corrections to this paper [...]

We focus on the possible thermal channel of the well-known Lithosphere–Atmosphere–Ionosphere Coupling (LAIC) mechanism to identify the behavior of thermal anomalies during and prior to strong seismic events. For this, we investigate the variation of Surface Latent Heat Flux (SLHF) as resulting from satellite observables. We demonstrate a spatio-tem...

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the lithosphere–atmosphere–ionosphere coupling (LAIC) effects with the use of multiparameter precursor observations for two successive Japanese earthquakes (EQs) (with a magnitude of around 7) in February and March 2021, respectively, considering a seemingly significant difference in seismological and geologi...

In this work, we represent the lightning initiation scenario as a sequence of two transitions of discharge activity to progressively larger spatial scales: the first one is from small-scale avalanches to intermediate-scale streamers; and the second one is from streamers to the lightning seed. We postulate the existence of ion production centers in...

Anomalies in Schumann resonance (SR) (or global electromagnetic ELF (extremely low frequency) resonance due to global lightning activity in the Earth-ionosphere cavity) attract lot of attention in possible association with earthquakes (EQs). The first anomalies were observed in Japan for EQs in Taiwan when the distance between observatory and the E...

We present a comprehensive analysis of pre-seismic anomalies as computed from the ground and space-based techniques during the recent Samos earthquake in Greece on 30 October 2020, with a magnitude M = 6.9. We proceed with a multi-parametric approach where pre-seismic irregularities are investigated in the stratosphere, ionosphere, and magnetospher...

The propagation of natural wide-band pulsed radio signals in the spherical Earth – ionosphere cavity is numerically simulated. The frequency band considered is 1–10,000 Hz. We address the TM waves originated from a vertical lightning stroke of the Bruce and Golde, Williams, or Jones model. Major data are based on the Williams’ lightning model. The...

We address deviations in the source bearing of natural pulsed extremely low frequency (ELF) radio signals (Q-bursts) in the Schumann resonance band. The model of smooth day – night non-uniformity is used. The observer is located at the Ukrainian Antarctic station “Akademik Vernadsky” (65.25° S and 64.25° W), and the source is positioned at the same...

In this work we present the statistical and criticality analysis of the very low frequency (VLF) sub-ionospheric propagation data recorded by a VLF/LF radio receiver which has recently been established at the University of West Attica in Athens (Greece). We investigate a very recent, strong (M6.9), and shallow earthquake (EQ) that occurred on 30 Oc...

The aim of this work is to study the relationship between the pre-earthquake emissions of radon and ULF/ELF (1–30 Hz) atmospheric electromagnetic radiation. The problem is considered on the example of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. Radon, ionizing air, creates ions—centers of condensation of water vapor. As a result of condensation, heat is generated....

In this article, we describe a method for predicting of the epicenter location region of Kamchatka and Commander earthquakes (EQs). It is based on the properties of the precursory atmospheric ULF/ELF (1–30 Hz) radiation and the spatial statistics of local EQs in relation to the Kuril-Kamchatka and Aleutian trenches. From this statistics, it follows...

A wide variety of electromagnetic phenomena possibly related with earthquake (EQ) preparation processes have been reported in the literature during the last few decades. An interesting aspect in their study is the time series analysis of the related observables aiming at the investigation of any embedded dynamics. In this review article we focus on...

Very Low Frequency (VLF) remote sensing technique is used to probe the D-layer modeling for which we use a very conventional model known as Wait s 2-component iono-spheric model. This model is characterized by two iono-spheric parameters which are 'steepness parameter' (β) and 'effective reflection height' (h). International Reference Ionosphere (I...

Sub-Ionospheric Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio wave propagation characteristics are the major tool to study the lower ionospheric heights mainly D-region. Wait’s 2-component exponential model is a well-known mechanism to understand the basic characteristics of this layer based on VLF remote sensing. This model deals with two major ionospheric param...

A significant anomaly in the extremely low frequency (ELF) spectra of Schumann resonance (SR) was discovered for the 1999 Chi‐Chi earthquake (EQ) in Taiwan as observed in Japan. Similar phenomena were confirmed for other EQs remote from the observer by a few megameters. An additional effect was detected for nearby EQs. The anomalies were explained...

Study of seismo-ionospheric coupling mechanism demands the quiet geomagnetic condition to eliminate any kind of contamination in the lower atmospheric and ionospheric parameters. In this manuscript, we present the effect of back to back two geomagnetic storms before a strong earthquake happened in Imphal, India on January 4, 2016 (M = 6.7). We stud...

Transient luminous events (TLEs) such as sprites, blue jets (BJs) and elves have been studied intensively during the last three decades, and much is now known of their properties. This progress is caused by several factors including satellite optical observations, ground-based measurements of sprite-produced electromagnetic fields, the use of high-...

Using a numerical model of the ELF radio wave scattering by seismogenic localized non-uniformity, we evaluate the earthquake (EQ) magnitude by using modifications in the power spectra of global electromagnetic (Schumann) resonance. The ionosphere non-uniformity is introduced as a disturbance in the vertical profile of atmosphere conductivity above...

In order to have further evidence of the atmospheric oscillation channel of the lithosphere-atmosphere-ionosphere coupling (LAIC), we have studied criticality in global navigation satellite system (GNSS) surface deformation as a possible agent for exciting atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) in the atmosphere and GNSS fluctuations in the frequency ran...