2025 Volume 2025 Issue 157 Pages 157_1-157_9
The "Ionospheric Perturbations Prior to Earthquakes" have attracted much attention as potential short-term indicators, although their direct mechanisms remain largely unclear. We initiated the PRELUDE CubeSat project to better understand the physics of these ionospheric precursors and to statistically evaluate their correlation with seismic activities. By employing high-sampling VLF electric field observations and simultaneous plasma measurements, we aim to verify how variations in the D-region electron density may lead to measurable changes in radio wave attenuation. In this report, we present an overview of the PRELUDE mission design, its system architecture, and the preliminary results from our engineering model. We also discuss how these findings may contribute to a more robust evaluation of ionospheric anomalies associated with large earthquakes.
