Abnormal geophysical events in the Northern Hemisphere in 2010 and 2011

Abstract

Based on ATOVS satellite data, temperature-pressure vertical profiles at different levels have been constructed for the epicenter of the Japan earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011 for the “undisturbed” and seismically disturbed atmosphere (December 2010 January-April 2011). In the undisturbed atmosphere over the focal zone, the coefficient of correlation between the time series of the temperature at levels of 200 gPa and 450 gPa was positive, reaching 0.4-0.6; in the disturbed atmosphere, there were intensive internal gravity waves, and the correlation coefficient was negative, reaching -0.86. The large wave in the atmosphere observed over the focal zone before the earthquake could have triggered it. A rare event occurred almost simultaneously with the earthquake: an ozone anomaly similar to the Antarctic ozone hole was formed in the Northern Hemisphere between March 5 and April 4, 2011. That event was preceded by a dramatic temperature drop in the lower stratosphere. In 2010, Europe experienced an unprecedented hot summer, and the winter of 2010-2011 was exceptionally cold. Those events could have a common cause. That could be an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in spring-summer of 2010, which changed the direction of the Gulf Stream, leading to changes in atmospheric circulation and generation of intensive atmospheric waves.