摘要：AbstractThe thermo-electric coefficients of twenty-six magnetite samples, formed either by magmatism or metamorphism, were tested by the thermo-electric instrument BHET –06. Results showed that the coefficient is of a constant value of about −0.05 mV/°C. It is emphasized that because every magnetite grain was tested randomly, the coefficient is independent of the crystallographic direction. This fact means the thermal voltage generated from a single magnetite crystal can be accumulated, and as a result a new thermo-electric field can arise when a gradient thermal field exists and is active within the earth’s crust. Because magnetite is widespread in the earth’s crust (generally appearing more in the middle-lower crust), there is more-than-random probability that the additional thermo-electric field can be generated when certain thermal conditions are fulfilled. We, therefore, used the thermo-electric effect of magnetite to study the mechanism responsible for the presence of abnormal geo-electric fields during earthquake formation and occurrence, because gradient thermal fields always exist before earthquakes. The possible presence of additional thermo-electric fields was calculated under theoretical seismological conditions, using the following calculation formula:E=−0.159(σ×ΔT×Φ×ρ2×[(h2−2x2)cosα+3hxsinα]/ρ1(h2+x2)5/2). In the above formula,σis thermo-electric coefficient of magnetite, ΔTis the temperature difference acting on it,Φis a sectional area on a block of magnetite vertically perpendicular to the direction of the thermal current,ρ1andρ2are the respective resistivities of magnetite and the crust, andh,α, andx, respectively,his the depth of embedded magnetite block.αmeans the angle created by the horizontal line and ligature of the two poles of magnetite block, andxis the distance from observation point to projective center point of the magnetite block on earth surface. According to simulations calculated with this formula, additional thermo-electric field intensity may reach as high asnton × 102 mV/km. This field is strong enough to cause obvious anomalies in the background geo-electric field, and can be easy probed by earthquake monitoring equipment. Therefore, we hypothesize that geo-electric abnormalities which occur during earthquakes may be caused by the thermo-electric effect of magnetite.
