Ground-based and satellite DC-ULF electric field anomalies around Wenchuan M8.0 earthquake Original Research Article

The ground-based and satellite DC-ULF electric field data were analyzed around Wenchuan M8.0 earthquake on May 12, 2008 in China. The results show that ground electric field anomalies occurred at 3 stations located to the north and south of the epicenter with the amplitude of 3–100 mV/km. The change shapes and their amplitude of ground electric field anomalies are different largely due to their individual underground layer conductivity, water level and so on. The analysis of long time series illustrates that the abnormal geoelectric field started since March 2008. Onboard the DEMETER satellite, the ULF waveforms of electric field were collected and processed by wavelet transform method. The disturbances in the ionosphere were about 3–5 mV/m at a frequency band lower than 0.5 Hz. When the ground and space electric field anomalies were compared, their occurrence time and spatial distribution points are consistent with each other, including the long time anomalies from March 2008 and the short term ones 1–2 days before the Wenchuan earthquake. Finally, the coupling mechanism was discussed.