The International Journal of Plasma Environmental Science and Technology (IJPEST) notes that researchers believe that fractured areas of the Earth’s crust, where water is available under high thermal and pressure conditions, act as electrical capacitors. These formations are connected to the Earth’s surface and the lower layer of the ionosphere, forming a huge electrostatic system between the Earth and the atmosphere.
The researchers explain that during powerful solar explosions, the density of electrons in the ionosphere may increase significantly, forming a negatively charged layer. Through what is called “capacitive coupling,” this charge can create strong electric fields within tiny cavities in rocks. According to calculations, the resulting electrostatic pressure may reach several megapascals, values similar to tidal and gravitational stresses that are already factors influencing fault stability.
Scientists estimate that an increase in the total electron content in the ionosphere by tens of TEC units during major solar flares could theoretically lead to a significant increase in pressure within fault zones. Unusual ionospheric anomalies have already been repeatedly recorded before strong earthquakes, such as higher electron density, decreased ionospheric height, and changes in atmospheric wave propagation. These phenomena were previously interpreted as the result of processes within the Earth’s crust, but the new model assumes a two-way interaction; Internal processes may affect the ionosphere, and their disturbances may in turn be reflected in the Earth’s crust.
The researchers point out that some major earthquakes in Japan, including the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, occurred after brief periods of high solar activity, but they stress that temporal synchronization does not necessarily mean a direct causal relationship.
In the future, the team plans to combine satellite navigation data, which allows for the creation of 3D maps of the ionosphere, with space weather information, with the aim of assessing whether ionospheric perturbations actually affect the state of stress within the Earth’s crust.
