TIR Anomaly as Earthquake Precursor

Thermal infrared (TIR) anomalies have been observed in correspondence to earthquake prone areas starting from the end of the 80s. Research in the field of TIR precursors is active worldwide and benefits greatly from technology development and new satellite missions. Processing, interpretation and theoretical research continue to enhance methods and knowledge. Advances have regarded the thermal multiparametric analyses for which a Deviation-Time-Space-Thermal (DTS-T) criterions combination has been recently proposed aiming at alerting for anomalies which are notable enough, quasi-synchronous and spatially adjacent. Further advances coming from data processing sector have allowed to significantly enhance Signal to Noise ratio in thermal maps originated from geostationary data by means of the Night Thermal Gradient (NTG) index. Finally, the physical links between thermal anomalies and earthquake is a topic of recent advances in earthquake precursors literature. The seismic origin of TIR precursors is proved by many authors, but their nature is not yet clear and their practical usability is not generally accepted by the whole seismological community