TEC anomalies observed before and after Sivrice-Elazig earthquake (24 January 2020, Mw: 6.8)

Abstract

Earthquake, which is one of the biggest natural disasters of today, causes many loss of life and property worldwide. Numerous scientists have worked on the earthquake from past to present. As a result of the work done, it is seen that some changes occurred in the ionosphere layer before, during, or after the earthquake; therefore, the necessity of examining the ionosphere layer was revealed in earthquake prediction studies. With Global Positioning Satellite Systems (GNSS) observations, total electron content (TEC) changes in the ionosphere can be determined before, during, and after the earthquake. Thus, it can be monitored how to affect the earthquakes on TEC changes. In this study, ionospheric TEC (RIM-TEC) obtained from GNSS receivers in the 21-day time interval which covers 10 days before, 10 days after, and day of Sivrice-Elazig earthquake (38.3593 degrees N 39.0630 degrees E, 24 January 2020, Mw: 6.8) was compared with the TEC values of the earthquake outer center obtained from CODE-GIM and IRI-2016, and the Solar Flux Index (F10.7), Geomagnetic Activity Index (Dst), and Geomagnetic Storm Index (Kp) representing ionic space climate conditions were examined in the relevant time intervals.