抄録
This review paper aims at synthesizing global observations reported by Moiseev (1990), Branover et al. (1999), Kikuchi (1991, 2001), Hayakawa and Molchanov (2002); Pulinets and Boyarchuk (2004), Hayakawa (2007, 2015), Mishin and Streltsov (2022), Pulinets and Herrera (2024), and others, in order to examine the cross-domain coupling within Earth’s mantle–lithosphere–atmosphere–ionosphere–magnetosphere (MaLAIM) system.
We begin with emphasizing ionospheric manifestations of heterogeneous-Earth and atmosphere processes, because the ionosphere is often the most responsive layer in the MaLAIM chain. Its plasma supports sporadic layers and multiscale irregularities that are routinely detected by ground-based and satellite instruments.
We then consider how radiogenic isotopes (e.g., Rn, U, Th, etc.) decay to lighter isotopes and heterogeneous tectonic structures (faults and fractures) in the lithosphere drive gas-dynamic, electrodynamic and thermodynamic processes. These flows, together with infrasound as a lower-branch of acoustic gravity waves (AGWs) generated by near-Earth surface activity, provide efficient coupling pathways between the lithosphere and the atmosphere.
The injected gases and waves modify atmospheric thermal structure and conductivity, perturbing the ionization–recombination balance and driving vertical currents into the ionosphere. The resulting forcing of the ionosphere can modulate plasma density and dynamics, producing quasi-periodic irregularities from the E region (~90–120 km) to the F2 layer (~250–400+ km), including sporadic-E and sporadic-F, traveling ionospheric disturbances, and plasma turbulence.
We ground our analysis on theory and align each stage with observations, demonstrating the cross-layer coupling. Field measurements suggest radon emanation through lithospheric faults into the atmosphere, accompanied by localized warming of the atmospheric gas (~8–10 °C), ion–molecule cluster formation, and buoyancy-driven turbulent mixing of light gases.
Atmospheric measurements further indicate leakage via low-frequency acoustic waves (infrasound), which commonly accompany intense weather systems (cyclones, typhoons, tornadoes). We then examine the AIM (atmosphere–ionosphere–magnetosphere) coupling mechanism in the context of earthquake precursors, following Blaunstein (2000), Blaunstein and Hayakawa (2009), and the experiments reported therein.
The ionosonde records from the Vrancea seismic zone (Romania, 2008–2017) show pre-seismic ionospheric stratification consistent with theoretical expectations and previous literatures (e.g., Pulinets & Boyarchuk, 2004; Molchanov & Hayakawa, 2008; Ouzounov et al., 2018; Pulinets & Herrera, 2024).
Finally, it is shown that the spectral properties of the natural clutter phenomena in various latitudes of the perturbed ionosphere – polar, northern, middle, equatorial, - can be the main of separation of the effects caused by each of them individually that can be observed experimentally with the use of ground- and satellite–based equipment.
