A review on deformation-induced electromagnetic radiation detection: history and current status of the technique

Abstract

Development of the deformation monitoring techniques for the infrastructures so as to avoid catastrophic failure and resulting economic/human loss has remained a key interest of scientists and engineers. Among various deformation monitoring techniques utilized and explored by groups of researchers, electromagnetic radiation detection is one of the intriguing techniques which has remained popular in researchers’ community till today. Almost every type of material is being explored and studied by researchers for the electromagnetic emissions when subjected to external loading and/or failure. Experimental and theoretical investigations are demonstrating these emissions to be a suitable candidate for the deformation monitoring, as a failure predictor and to know about the complex phenomenon of fracture. This article presents extensive literature review and a rigorous discussion on the work done in the past several decades regarding the exploration of electromagnetic emissions from a wide variety of materials and the underlying physical mechanisms. Thus, this review is an attempt to highlight main findings, proposed physical mechanisms, prospective applications, future scope and challenges of the electromagnetic emission detection technique.

Fracture-induced Electromagnetic radiation (FEMR) predicting the Syrian-Turkey earthquake (Mw-6.3) on 20.2.2023: An insight on the Dead Sea transform activity

“…Significant research on FEMR emissions from rocks and brittle materials has been conducted with experiments focused on low-frequency electromagnetic radiation using samples like concrete, Syracuse limestone, Carrara marble, and green Luserna granite [42][43][44][45] . They aimed to predict failure and resulting seismic activity by investigating the electrical emission phenomenon as a precursor to failure and seismic events.…”

Fracture Electromagnetic Radiation Induced by a Seismic Active Zone (in the Vicinity of Eilat City, Southern Israel)

“…FEMR measurements have been conducted in various laboratory studies using a widefrequency spectrum (from the kHz band to the MHz band), e.g., [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. The results of studies performed before 2021 are reviewed in [35]. On the geophysical scale, FEMR has been recorded before significant EQs [36][37][38][39][40][41][42].…”

Insights into the Dead Sea Transform Activity through the study of fracture-induced electromagnetic radiation (FEMR) signals before the Syrian-Turkey earthquake (Mw-6.3) on 20.2.2023

“…Lab experiments on various materials, such as chalk, rocks, glass, ceramics, granite, etc., have been conducted to understand FEMR responses, correlating them with physical parameters like crack dimensions, velocity, and frequency of crack propagation 32 – 41 . Notably, experiments focused on low-frequency electromagnetic radiation from rocks and brittle materials, including concrete, Syracuse limestone, Carrara marble, and green Luserna granite, aimed to predict failure and seismic activity by studying electrical emissions as precursors 42 – 45 .…”