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Abstract

We study the space weather variations like magnetic storms and their impact on earthquake processes. We have found that about two months after creating a new radiation belt in the inner magnetosphere due to a geomagnetic storm, an increasing seismic activity may occur near the magnetic field lines' footprint of a newly created radiation belt. The Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) detected a new radiation belt after a geomagnetic storm on March 24, 1991. Shortly after that, on May 30, 1991, a strong M7.0 earthquake occurred in Alaska in the footprint of geomagnetic line L~2.69. Additionally, on October 28, 2012, a strong M7.8 earthquake occurred in Canada near the footprint of L~3.3, which was close to the magnetic lines of a new radiation belt detected by a satellite "Van Allen Probes" after a geomagnetic storm on September 3, 2012. We demonstrate the possible existence of two ways of solar-lithosphere coupling processes: (i) the disturbances in the lithosphere accompanying the earthquake preparation process can modify the electric field in the global electric circuit (GEC), and the vice-versa mechanism, (ii) the solar wind-generated disturbances in the magnetosphere and ionosphere, can modify the electric field in the GEC, that will result in appearing of disturbances in the lithosphere.