Near-real-time detection of co-seismic ionospheric disturbances using
machine learning
Abstract
Tsunamis generated by large earthquake-induced displacements of the
ocean floor can lead to tragic consequences for coastal communities.
Ionospheric measurements of Co-Seismic Disturbances (CIDs) offer a
unique solution to characterize an earthquake’s tsunami potential in
Near-Real-Time (NRT) since CIDs can be detected within 15 min of a
seismic event. However, the detection of CIDs relies on human experts,
which currently prevents the deployment of ionospheric methods in NRT.
To address this critical lack of automatic procedure, we designed a
machine-learning based framework to (1) classify ionospheric waveforms
into CIDs and noise, (2) pick CID arrival times, and (3) associate
arrivals across a satellite network in NRT. Machine-learning models
(random forests) trained over an extensive ionospheric waveform dataset
show excellent classification and arrival-time picking performances
compared to existing detection procedures, which paves the way for the
NRT imaging of surface displacements from the ionosphere.