Electric field⁃driven mechanism is commonly used to explain ionospheric anomalies before earthquakes. Based on this theory, the ionospheric physical model SAMI2 is used to simulate the response of electron/ion density (ne and ni) and temperature (Te and Ti) of the plasma to the ionospheric anomalous electric field. The results show that the ionospheric anomalous horizontal electric field of the order of mV/m can cause the abnormal disturbance of ionospheric electron density which is equivalent to the observed data. Compared with other ions, O+ density changes significantly. The spatial distribution of the disturbances is basically consistent with the observations. The peak perturbation point does not coincide with the epicenter and the deviation sign depends on the relative position. The disturbances also appear in the conjugated area of the opposite hemisphere. A change in the external electric field direction can lead to a change of the deviation sign. A negative correlation between ionospheric ne and Te is exhibited. The results help to further understand the characteristics and mechanisms of the seismo-ionospheric anomalies, and are of great significance for the identification of the seismo-ionospheric anomalies.
目前震前电离层异常物理机制研究中,认可度最高的是“异常电场”假说(即电场驱动机制)。该机制研究主要包括三部分[6,7]:1) 地表异常电场产生机制;2) 地表异常电场至电离层传输机制;3) 电离层高度异常电场引起等离子体扰动机制。前两部分目前存在较多争议:有学者模拟发现,地表电场渗透至电离层的效率较低,地表电场的产生也备受质疑[8,9]。对于第三部分认知较为清楚,即异常电场通过 E × B 漂移改变等离子体分布。强震前电离层高度出现异常电场已被卫星观测所证实[10]。Chmyrev等[11]报道了1982年埃及地震前震中及磁共轭点上空电场出现7~8 mV/m变化;Gousheva等[12]基于多个震例期间的INTERCOSMOS BULGARIA 1300卫星数据进行统计分析,结果显示,震前电离层电场会出现2~15 mV/m的异常增加;Xu等[13]利用2008年汶川M8.0级地震前电离层垂测数据,结合电离层物理模型,计算了电离层高度异常电场的幅度及分布,发现电离层高度异常电场量级为mV/m,约为背景电场的10倍。
为了进一步理解电场驱动机制,众多学者利用电离层物理模型开展了电离层对异常电场响应的模拟。Kuo等[14]模拟发现,不同纬度的电离层电子密度对异常电场的响应不同。Namgaladze等[15,16]的模拟结果表明,~10 mV/m的电场引起的 E × B 漂移可以导致电离层电子密度总积分含量(total electron content, TEC)异常扰动。刘祎等[17]的研究表明,异常电场会造成电子密度扰动,随着时间推移,电离层电子密度扰动幅度逐渐减小且扰动区域向着靠近磁赤道方向或远离磁赤道方向漂移。目前,对于震前电离层异常现象的模拟研究多集中于电离层电子密度ne,对其他参量的关注较少。然而,电离层电子/离子温度参数(Te/Ti)的震前异常扰动多次被HINOTORI、DEMETER等卫星观测到[18~20]。电离层异常电场通过 E × B 电动力学过程改变电离层等离子体密度分布的同时,将影响能量交换及传导过程,引起等离子体温度变化。因此,在开展电离层对异常电场响应模拟研究时,不应只关注某个参数。
电离层电场与地磁场共同作用使等离子体产生同时垂直于电场和磁场的 E × B 漂移。震前电离层电场Δ E 通过叠加到背景电场上改变电离层电动力学过程而导致电离层状态变化。SAMI2中的 E × B 漂移速度由Fejer经验模型给定,方便起见,本次模拟采用经验公式计算等离子体 E × B 漂移速度(m/s)[22]
以M7.0级地震为例,计算得到孕震区半径为1 023 km,大约相当于10°的纬度范围。杨许铂等[25]的模拟结果表明,附加电流引起电离层异常电场范围远大于其自身在地表上的分布,即电离层电场异常范围将远大于地震孕育区的范围。因此,本文模拟中假定震中位于106°E,30°N,地磁纬度为19°N,震前地表异常电场Δ E 分布是以震中为中心,半高宽为5°的高斯分布。
图1给出异常电场空间分布示意图及输入到SAMI2中的 E × B 漂移速度。图1(b)中所示曲线分别代表背景(V0)、外加电离层异常电场东向(V1)和外加电离层异常电场西向(V2)时等离子体 E × B 漂移速度。由图1可以看到,外加东向电场时, E × B 漂移速度增大;外加西向电场时, E × B 漂移速度减小。
从图2可以看到,F区主要离子成分O+密度的变化与电子密度基本一致,其他离子成分变化不明显,故下文主要利用SAMI2模拟了15 LT电离层电子密度ne的空间分布(图3(a)、3(b))以及震前电子密度与背景电子密度差值的空间分布(图3(c)、3(d))。由图3可知,外加电离层异常电场时,震中上空电离层电子密度ne变化明显,在震中的不同方位,电子密度变化相位不同。Δ E 东向(V1)时,震中附近电子密度显著增加,同时,靠近赤道一侧电子密度降低;Δ E 西向(V2)时,震中附近电子密度降低,靠近赤道侧密度增加。外加东向电场时,由于等离子体向上 E × B 漂移速度的增大(见图1(b)中V1对应曲线),使得局部电子密度减少,等离子漂移到更高高度,较高高度处中性成分O2和N2密度减少,电离层F区主要离子成分O+的损失率相应减少,形成电子密度增加区域。相反,外加西向电场时, E × B 漂移速度减小(见图1(b)中V2曲线),使得更多的等离子体停留在原地而导致本地电子密度增加,更高区域的电子密度减少。此外,磁力线位形使得电子密度扰动区域较震中投影点向赤道偏移,同时,ne的变化出现“磁共轭”效应,即在电子密度扰动点的磁共轭点处也会出现相应的电离层异常扰动。
图4给出了SAMI2模拟的电离层电子温度Te的空间分布(图4(a)、4(b))以及震前电子温度与背景电子温度差值的空间分布(图4(c)、4(d))。如图4所示,外加电场方向不同时,电子温度变化的相位不同。Δ E 东向时,震中附近电子密度ne增加的区域出现电子温度Te降低的现象;Δ E 西向时,电子温度Te升高区域对应电子密度ne降低区域,即Te与ne的变化反相关。这与Shen等[18]的观测结果一致,他们利用DEMETER卫星数据研究了震前电离层电子密度与电子温度的相关性,发现强震前二者呈负相关关系。电离层电子温度Te主要受两类因素影响:太阳EUV辐射能量输入的加热作用;电子-离子、电子-中性成分碰撞的冷却作用。EUV辐射不变时,电子密度的增加必然导致碰撞损失能量增加,进而导致电子温度降低,相反地,电子密度的降低可使电子温度上升。
此外,本文模拟了不同幅度异常电场Δ E 对电离层的影响,图6给出15 LT震中上空(30°N)电离层电子密度和电离层foF2对不同异常电场的响应结果。图6(a)为不同外加电场条件下电离层电子密度ne的高度分布,图6(b)和图6(c)分别为外加电场Δ E 为0.1 mV/m和2 mV/m时电离层foF2地方时及纬度分布。
由图6可知,外加电场幅度越大,电子密度ne变化越大:外加电场Δ E =2 mV/m时,电子密度相对变化达~70%,foF2相对变化为~50%;外加电场Δ E =0.1 mV/m时,电子密度ne及foF2变化不明显,foF2相对变化仅为~4%,0.1 mV/m量级的外加电场与电离层背景电场幅度相当,并不足以引起电离层foF2的显著变化。
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