Study of signals possibly precursors to an earthquake by means of complex systems time series analysis methods

The present PhD dissertation refers to the analysis of pre-seismic signals by means of complex systems’ time series analysis methods. The specific research focuses on the effort to understand, through the analysis of various observable quantities, the complex processes that precede the occurrence of earthquakes (particularly of strong earthquakes). The aim is to find specific characteristics in data (time series) from ground-based or space-born observation stations that record physical or chemical quantities, as well as seismic sequences, which are related, primarily or secondarily, to processes occurring in the lithosphere during the preparation of a strong earthquake, but also their distinction from features related to other extreme geophysical phenomena (e.g., volcanoes, tsunamis, magnetic storms). The identification as well as the study of these characteristic-signatures is done by means of methods of analysis of complex systems’ time series, which are able to unveil various statistical properties of the signal (and of the system associated with it) and/or their dynamics. The main goal is to understand the complex processes underlying the preparation of such extreme natural phenomena in order to extract useful conclusions.