Feasibility of anomaly occurrence in aerosols time series obtained from MODIS satellite images during hazardous earthquakes

•This paper examines one of the parameters which can be derived from satellite imagery.•The mentioned parameter is Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD).•AOD’s time series were analyzed for 16 major earthquakes in world.•The proposed precursor deserves serious attention as new predictor tools.

Earthquake is one of the most devastating natural disasters that its prediction has not materialized comprehensive. Remote sensing data can be used to access information which is closely related to an earthquake. The unusual variations of lithosphere, atmosphere and ionosphere parameters before the main earthquakes are considered as earthquake precursors. To date the different precursors have been proposed. This paper examines one of the parameters which can be derived from satellite imagery. The mentioned parameter is Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) that this article reviews its relationship with earthquake. Aerosol parameter can be achieved through various methods such as AERONET ground stations or using satellite images via algorithms such as the DDV (Dark Dense Vegetation), Deep Blue Algorithm and SYNTAM (SYNergy of Terra and Aqua Modis). In this paper, by analyzing AOD’s time series (derived from MODIS sensor on the TERRA platform) for 16 major earthquakes, seismic anomalies were observed before and after earthquakes. Before large earthquakes, rate of AOD increases due to the pre-seismic changes before the strong earthquake, which produces gaseous molecules and therefore AOD increases. Also because of aftershocks after the earthquake there is a significant change in AOD due to gaseous molecules and dust. These behaviors suggest that there is a close relationship between earthquakes and the unusual AOD variations. Therefore the unusual AOD variations around the time of earthquakes can be introduced as an earthquake precursor.