Signals that the Earth sends out

Opportunity for and for Ames

Some Ideas and Suggestions for more than one ROSES call
Friedemann T. Freund
SETI Institute, Mountain View and Department of Physics San Jose State University

Weve made progress in understanding processes in the Solid Earth that have relevance to more than one ROSES program.

Rocks, when subjected to tectonic stresses, turn into a battery. They produce electric currents in the Earths crust, millions of amperes strong. This discovery can lead to proposals for the following ROSES calls:

C.4 C.12 A.15 A.11

Planetary Geology and Geophysics Mars Fundamental Research Earth System Science Research using Data and Products from the Terra, Aqua, and ACRIMSAT Satellites Earth Surface and Interior

Block of Sierra Nevada granite 1.2 m long 10 x 15 cm2 cross section air-dry loaded at one end

Piston

Capacitive Sensor

Insulation

Rock
Front Electrode

V A

Piston

Back Electrode

Electrons are flowing out of the Source

Holes are flowing through the h rock

Piston

Capacitive Sensor

Insulation

Rock
Front Electrode

V A

Source

Piston

Back Electrode

Gabbro
300 200 red: current to edge Tile, loaded in center 6 MPa/min

180 160 140 120 100

Current [pA]

100 0

blue: current to piston

h
Stress [MPa]

80 -100

Load
-200 -300 0 10 20 30 40 50

60 40 20 0

Time [min]
Insulation Piston Frame Frame

Source volume

Piston

Rock

Insulation

M=7.6 Gujarat earthquake Jan. 26, 2001, northern India MODIS night-time mid-IR data
(courtesy of Dimitar Ouzounov, GSFC/SSAI)

Jan 18, 2001

Jan 19, 2001

Rapid changes of the IR intensity several days before main shock outlining the hidden faults

Jan 20, 2001

Jan 21, 2001

Jan 22, 2001

11.5 cm ~1m 60 cm Piston

Rock
BOMEM Spectrometer electrical insulation Piston

30 cm

Rock

Pre-loading and loading spectra

Anorthosite Run #12

St ar tl oa di ng

Pre-loading and loading spectra

Anorthosite Run #12

Difference spectra

St ar tl oa di ng

Start loading

Secondary Si-O and Al-O bands?

120

narrow bands
Anorthosite
Run #12 Excess IR Emission during first 4 min after start of loading in ! region
O-O

Excess Intensity [mK]

O-O combination bands with lattice modes? Primary O-O hot bands plus O-O fundamental?

100

80

2-4 min 0-2 min after loading 3"2

60 1"0 40 950 900 850 2"1

Wavenumbers [cm ]

-1

800

294.5 294.4 294.3 294.2

Anorthosite
IR Emission

100

Difference [mK]

90 80

Intensity [K]

294.2 294.1 294 293.9

Excess Emission

70 60

Pre-Load Spectrum 1300 1200 1100 1000 900 800

50

Wavenumber [cm ]

-1

294.5

IR channels

GOES-R 294.4
294.3 294.2

Anorthosite
IR Emission

100

Difference [mK]

90 80

Intensity [K]

294.2 294.1 294 293.9

Excess Emission

70 60

Pre-Load Spectrum 1300 1200 1100 1000 900 800

50

Wavenumber [cm ]

-1

Conclusions:
We start to understand the physics We can design protocols for measuring (and re-evaluating) many processes that are linked to or influenced by the electronic charge carriers activated deep in the Earths crust.

Capacitive sensor Piston contacts Edge contact

FFreund: ERPS Workshop Jan. 15-16, 2004