As soon as an earthquake starts, the rupture and the propagation of seismic waves redistribute masses within the Earth. This mass redistribution generates in turn a long-range perturbation of the ...Earth gravitational field, which can be recorded before the arrival of the direct seismic waves. The recent first observations of such early signals motivate the use of the normal mode theory to model the elastogravity perturbations recorded by a ground-coupled seismometer or gravimeter. Complete modelling by normal mode summation is challenging due to the very large difference in amplitude between the prompt elastogravity signals and the direct P-wave signal. We overcome this problem by introducing a two-step simulation approach. The normal mode approach enables a fast computation of elastogravity signals in layered self-gravitating Earth models. The fast and accurate computation of gravity perturbations indicates instrument locations where signal detection may be achieved, and may prove useful in the implementation of a gravity-based earthquake early warning system.
The static and transient deformations produced by earthquakes cause density perturbations which, in turn, generate immediate, long-range perturbations of the Earth's gravity field. Here, an ...analytical solution is derived for gravity perturbations produced by a point double-couple source in homogeneous, infinite, non-self-gravitating elastic media. The solution features transient gravity perturbations that occur at any distance from the source between the rupture onset time and the arrival time of seismic P waves, which are of potential interest for real-time earthquake source studies and early warning. An analytical solution for such prompt gravity perturbations is presented in compact form. We show that it approximates adequately the prompt gravity perturbations generated by strike-slip and dip-slip finite fault ruptures in a half-space obtained by numerical simulations based on the spectral element method. Based on the analytical solution, we estimate that the observability of prompt gravity perturbations within 10 s after rupture onset by current instruments is severely challenged by the background microseism noise but may be achieved by high-precision gravity strainmeters currently under development. Our analytical results facilitate parametric studies of the expected prompt gravity signals that could be recorded by gravity strainmeters.
Recent studies reported the observation of prompt elastogravity signals during the 2011 M9.1 Tohoku earthquake, recorded with broadband seismometers and gravimeter between the rupture onset and the ...arrival of the seismic waves. Here we show that to extend the range of magnitudes over which the gravity perturbations can be observed and reduce the time needed for their detection, high‐precision gravity strainmeters under development could be used, such as torsion bars, superconducting gradiometers, or strainmeters based on atom interferometers. These instruments measure the differential gravitational acceleration between two seismically isolated test masses and are initially designed to observe gravitational waves around 0.1 Hz. Our analysis involves simulations of the expected gravity strain signals generated by fault rupture, based on an analytical model of gravity perturbations in a homogeneous half‐space. We show that future gravity strainmeters should be able to detect prompt gravity perturbations induced by earthquakes larger than M7, up to 1,000 km from the earthquake centroid within P waves travel time and up to 120 km within the first 10 s of rupture onset, provided a sensitivity in gravity strain of 10−15 Hz−1/2 at 0.1 Hz can be achieved. Our results further suggest that, in comparison to conventional P wave‐based earthquake‐early warning systems, gravity‐based earthquake‐early warning systems could perform faster detections of large offshore subduction earthquakes (at least larger than M7.3). Gravity strainmeters could also perform earlier magnitude estimates, within the duration of the fault rupture, and therefore complement current tsunami warning systems.
Key Points
Future high‐precision gravity strainmeters could record prompt gravity signals before the seismic waves arrival during an earthquake rupture
Planned sensitivity is sufficient to observe gravity perturbations from earthquakes of magnitude larger than 7 at distances up to 1,000 km
Gravity‐based warning system could perform faster detection and magnitude estimation of large earthquakes compared to conventional systems
In this paper, we summarize the present state-of-the-art on the proof-of-principle experiment of frequency-dependent squeezing implemented through EPR entanglement for Virgo gravitational-wave ...detector and we introduce Virgo subsystem proposal for frequency-dependent squeezing, obtained with a compact apparatus and without the costs required by the infrastructure for the filter cavity.
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