MONITORING SEISMIC EFFECTS—BURSTS OF HIGH-ENERGY PARTICLES IN NEAR-
EARTH SPACE (VSPLESK)
Research Area: Earth Remote Sensing
Expedition(s): 14, 17- 34
Principal Investigator(s): ● Arkadiy M. Galper, National Nuclear Research University,
Moscow, Russia
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES:
Monitoring Seismic Effects—Bursts of High-Energy Particles in Near-Earth Space (Vsplesk)
studies seismo-magnetospheric phenomena that were discovered in recent years and are
linked to a correlative
dependence between the
dynamics of fluxes of high-energy,
charged particles in near-Earth
space and seismic activity. One of
the most significant directions for
geophysical experiments today is
the search for credible and
sufficiently reliable signs of
catastrophic seismic phenomena
that will lead to a future method
for predicting earthquakes and
other emergency situations.
EARTH BENEFITS
Vsplesk will lead to developments
in approaches to predicting
seismic activity and individual powerful earthquakes using nuclear-physics methods and space
technologies. It will also develop empirical models (both stationary and mobile) of the radiation
situation in near-Earth space.
SPACE BENEFITS
Vsplesk will lead to developments in modern technologies to be used in the development and
creation of scientific equipment that operates outside the pressurized volume and is designed
to conduct long-term space experiments.
RESULTS
Statistics on bursts of high-energy particles, collected from August 2008 through 2011 during
the course of the Vsplesk experiment, together with data on particle bursts obtained from the
Arina experiment on the Resurs-DK1 satellite, allowed the first detailed research on the
geographic distribution of particle bursts. A detailed map of the geographic distribution of
particle bursts is given in the figure above.
Geographic distribution of high-energy charged particle bursts (light
circles and squares with a black dot in the center). Dark lines indicate
tectonic faults. Squares with a black dot in the center indicate particle
bursts found along fault lines. Roscosmos image.