Indian satellite can predict quakes globally

The Indian remote sensing satellite (IRS) has shown the potential for mapping the stress field of the earth's crust that will help to predict areas where powerful earthquakes are most likely, a leading geologist has said.

"We have shown how remote sensing data can be used in the estimation of stress that will be very useful in evaluating the most seismic vulnerable zone across the globe," Professor Ramesh Singh of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur said.

He has reported his work in the prestigious journal Geophysical Research Letter published by the American Geological Society.

Singh and his colleagues used as a test case the Bhuj earthquake in Gujarat that occurred on January 26, 2001. They compared the data obtained from the LISS-III camera on board IRS-1D before and after the earthquake. They report that the study has clearly shown changes in the stress direction after the main earthquake.

"The present results show the use of lineaments derived from remote sensing data in the evaluation of seismic hazards of any region and will be useful in updating world stress map," they said.

"Understanding of seismicity requires good knowledge of the nature and distribution of stress field in the earth's crust," Singh told PTI.

Lineaments represent tectonic structures that are identified in remote sensing images. Singh said the Bhuj earthquake produced large surface deformations that could be easily mapped using remote sensing data.

"The present results confirm that the lineaments are related to fractures and faults and their orientation and density give an idea about the fracture pattern of rocks," Singh said.

Future satellite study of lineaments throughout the world may yield further data on stress field orientation and add to the existing World Stress Map, Singh said.