Application of outgoing longwave radiation data for earthquake research

Satellite thermal infrared (TIR) data have revealed anomalies prior to major earthquakes. The paper presents the potential relationship between outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) anomalies and earthquakes. The method used in this work is to subtract long-lived background from initial data and have been applied to detect seismic anomalies successfully, particularly to a comparative study of the two earthquakes of Yunnan earthquake and Myanmar-China border region earthquake in June, 2007.