Decline of groundwater table in Beijing and recognition of seismic precursory information

This paper quantitatively analyzed groundwater table fluctuations caused by groundwater overdraft, and probed into the possibility of drawing earthquake precursory information from groundwater table variations on the background of groundwater overdraft. Main effect factors of groundwater regime in Beijing region include groundwater extraction and rainfall. The decline of groundwater table was directly related to regional groundwater overdraft. Using the method of correlation analysis, the paper analyzed the relation between groundwater overdraft and groundwater level variations, with the aim of evaluating the effect of groundwater overdraft on water levels in observation wells and providing scientific basis for identifying seismic precursory information. The results indicate that the variations of groundwater level in slightly-affected zones of groundwater overdraft can contain some seismic precursory information, and it is possible to extract seismic precursory anomalies if proper mathematical methods are adopted to remove the trend component and annual period changes.

Distinctive Precursory Air–Sea Signals between Regular and Super El Ni os

Statistically different precursory air–sea signals between a super and a regular El Ni no group are investigated, using observed SST and rainfall data, and oceanic and atmospheric reanalysis data. The El Ni no events during 1958–2008 are first separated into two groups： a super El Ni no group（S-group） and a regular El Ni no group（R-group）. Composite analysis shows that a significantly larger SST anomaly（SSTA） tendency appears in S-group than in R-group during the onset phase[April–May（0）], when the positive SSTA is very small. A mixed-layer heat budget analysis indicates that the tendency difference arises primarily from the difference in zonal advective feedback and the associated zonal current anomaly（u）.This is attributed to the difference in the thermocline depth anomaly（D） over the off-equatorial western Pacific prior to the onset phase, as revealed by three ocean assimilation products. Such a difference in D is caused by the difference in the wind stress curl anomaly in situ, which is mainly regulated by the anomalous SST and precipitation over the Maritime Continent and equatorial Pacific.

Abnormal interruption of water flow from an artesian well prior to 2008 Wenchuan earthquake

Water flow from an artesian well stopped on December 17, 2007 but recovered when the Wenchuan Ms 8.0 earthquake occurred on May 12, 2008. This well is located 90 km south of the epicenter in an extensional tectonic setting, where similar changes of water level and resistivity were observed at two other nearby sites. Our investigation suggests that this phenomenon was not caused by environmental disturbances, such as drought or borehole-drilling activity, but might be a precursor to the earthquake.