Abstract. On 6 April 2009 at 01:32:39 UT a strong earthquake occurred west of L'Aquila at the very shallow depth of 9 km. The main shock local magnitude was M l = 5.8 (Mw = 6.3). Several powerful aftershocks occurred the following days. The epicentre of the main shock occurred 6 km away from the Geomagnetic Observatory of L'Aquila, on a fault 15 km long having a NW-SE strike, about 140 • , and a SW dip of about 42 • . For this reason, L'Aquila seismic events offered very favourable conditions to detect possible electromagnetic emissions related to the earthquake. The data used in this work come from the permanent geomagnetic Observatories of L'Aquila and Duronia. Here the results concerning the analysis of the residual magnetic field estimated by means of the inter-station impulse response functions in the frequency band from 0.3 Hz to 3 Hz are shown.

Abstract. Several investigations reported the possible identification of anomalous geomagnetic field signals prior to earthquake occurrence. In the ULF frequency range, candidates for precursory signatures have been proposed in the increase in the noise background and polarization parameter (i.e. the ratio between the amplitude/power of the vertical component and that one of the horizontal component), in the changing characteristics of the slope of the power spectrum and fractal dimension, in the possible occurrence of short duration pulses. We conducted, with conventional techniques of data processing, a preliminary analysis of the magnetic field observations performed at L'Aquila during three months preceding the 6 April 2009 earthquake, focusing attention on the possible occurrence of features similar to those identified in previous events. Within the limits of this analysis, we do not find compelling evidence for any of the features which have been proposed as earthquake precursors: indeed, most of aspects of our observations (which, in some cases, appear consistent with previous findings) might be interpreted in terms of the general magnetospheric conditions and/or of different sources.

Abstract. A statistical analysis of the power spectra (0.7 -5 mHz) of the geomagnetic field components H and D recorded at Terra Nova Bay (Antarctica) during three austral summers close to the maximum of solar activity reveals power enhancements in the H component at = 3.3, 3.9 and 4.5 mHz, which become more evident during daytime intervals. During intervals characterized by higher solar wind speeds these spectral features more clearly emerge and are also accompanied by other enhancements at lower frequencies (= 1.2, 1.9 and 2.7 mHz). The observed frequencies are close to the ones detected both at auroral and low latitudes.

Abstract.We present an analysis of ULF geomagnetic field fluctuations at low latitudes during the first CAWSES campaign (29 March-3 April 2004). During the whole campaign, mainly in the prenoon sector, a moderate Pc3-4 pulsation activity is observed, clearly related to interplanetary upstream waves. On 3 April, in correspondence to the Earth's arrival of a coronal mass ejection, two SIs are observed whose waveforms are indicative of a contribution of the high-latitude ionospheric currents to the low-latitude ground field. During the following geomagnetic storm, low frequency (Pc5) waves are observed at discrete frequencies. Their correspondence with the same frequencies detected in the radial components of the interplanetary magnetic field and solar wind speed suggests that Alfvénic solar wind fluctuations may act as direct drivers of magnetospheric fluctuations. A cross-phase analysis, using different pairs of stations, is also presented for identifying field line resonant frequencies and monitoring changes in plasmaspheric mass density. Lastly, an analysis of ionospheric vertical soundings, measured at the Rome ionosonde station (41.8 • N, 12.5 • E), and vertical TEC measurements deduced from GPS signals within an European network shows the relation between the ULF resonances in the inner magnetosphere and thermal plasma density variations during geomagnetically quiet conditions, in contrast to various storm phases at the end of the CAWSES campaign.

Abstract.We conduct an analysis of the geomagnetic field variations recorded at the new Antarctic station Dome C, located very close to the geomagnetic pole, which has been operating for approximately one month during the 1999-2000 campaign. We also perform a comparison with simultaneous measurements at the Italian Antarctic station Terra Nova Bay, in order to investigate the spatial extension of the phenomena observed at very high latitude. Our results show that between the two stations the daily variation is similar and the fluctuations with f ∼1 mHz are coherent, provided that in both cases the comparison is made between geographically oriented components, suggesting that ionospheric currents related to the geographic position, more than field-aligned currents, are responsible for the lowest frequency variations; conversely, higher frequency (Pc5) fluctuations are substantially decoupled between the two stations. We also found that at Dome C the fluctuation power in the 0.55-6.7 mHz frequency band is well related with the solar wind speed during the whole day and that at Terra Nova Bay the correlation is also high, except around local geomagnetic noon, when the station approaches the polar cusp. These results indicate that the solar wind speed control of the geomagnetic field fluctuation power is very strict in the polar cap and less important close to the polar cusp.