Importance of selecting archaeomagnetic data for geomagnetic modelling: example of the new Western Europe directional and intensity secular variation curves from 1500 BC to 200 AD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herve, Gwenael; Chauvin, Annick; Lanos, Philippe

2014-05-01

At the regional scale, the dispersion between archaeomagnetic data and especially archaeointensities suggests that some of them may be biased. As a consequence, it appears necessary to perform a selection of available data before to compute mean regional secular variation curves or geomagnetic models. However the definition of suitable selection criteria is not obvious and we need to know how to manage "old" data acquired during the 60-70s. The Western Europe directional and intensity data set from 1500 BC to 200 AD allows to discuss these issues. It has recently been enhanced by 39 new archaeodirections and 23 new archaeointensities (Hervé et al., 2013a and 2013b data sets and 5 unpublished data). First, the whole Western Europe data set was selected but the strong dispersion restricted the accuracy and the reliability of the new Western Europe secular variation curves at Paris. The causes of the dispersion appear different between archaeodirections and archaeointensities. In the directional data set, the main problem comes from some age errors in the oldest published data. Since their publication their archaeological dating may have changed of 50 years or more. For intensity data that were acquired much more recently, the dispersion mainly results from the use of unreliable archaeointensity protocols. We propose a weighting approach based on the number of specimens and the use of pTRM-checks, anisotropy and cooling rate corrections. Only 63% of available archaeodirections and 32% of archaeointensities were used to build the new Western Europe secular variation curves from 1500 BC to 200 AD. These curves reveal that selecting the reference data avoids wrong estimations of the shape of the secular variation curves, the secular variation rate, the dating of archaeomagnetic jerks... Finally, it is worth pointing out that current geomagnetic global models take into account almost all the data that we decided to reject. It could partly explain why their predictions at

Statistics of the geomagnetic secular variation for the past 5 m.y

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Constable, C. G.; Parker, R. L.

1988-01-01

A new statistical model is proposed for the geomagnetic secular variation over the past 5Ma. Unlike previous models, the model makes use of statistical characteristics of the present day geomagnetic field. The spatial power spectrum of the non-dipole field is consistent with a white source near the core-mantle boundary with Gaussian distribution. After a suitable scaling, the spherical harmonic coefficients may be regarded as statistical samples from a single giant Gaussian process; this is the model of the non-dipole field. The model can be combined with an arbitrary statistical description of the dipole and probability density functions and cumulative distribution functions can be computed for declination and inclination that would be observed at any site on Earth's surface. Global paleomagnetic data spanning the past 5Ma are used to constrain the statistics of the dipole part of the field. A simple model is found to be consistent with the available data. An advantage of specifying the model in terms of the spherical harmonic coefficients is that it is a complete statistical description of the geomagnetic field, enabling us to test specific properties for a general description. Both intensity and directional data distributions may be tested to see if they satisfy the expected model distributions.

Geomagnetic field secular variation in Pacific Ocean: A Bayesian reference curve based on Holocene Hawaiian lava flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tema, E.; Herrero-Bervera, E.; Lanos, Ph.

2017-11-01

Hawaii is an ideal place for reconstructing the past variations of the Earth's magnetic field in the Pacific Ocean thanks to the almost continuous volcanic activity during the last 10 000 yrs. We present here an updated compilation of palaeomagnetic data from historic and radiocarbon dated Hawaiian lava flows available for the last ten millennia. A total of 278 directional and 66 intensity reference data have been used for the calculation of the first full geomagnetic field reference secular variation (SV) curves for central Pacific covering the last ten millennia. The obtained SV curves are calculated following recent advances on curve building based on the Bayesian statistics and are well constrained for the last five millennia while for older periods their error envelopes are wide due to the scarce number of reference data. The new Bayesian SV curves show three clear intensity maxima during the last 3000 yrs that are accompanied by sharp directional changes. Such short-term variations of the geomagnetic field could be interpreted as archaeomagnetic jerks and could be an interesting feature of the geomagnetic field variation in the Pacific Ocean that should be further explored by new data.

Dynamic Responses of the Earth's Outer Core to Assimilation of Observed Geomagnetic Secular Variation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuang, Weijia; Tangborn, Andrew

2014-01-01

Assimilation of surface geomagnetic observations and geodynamo models has advanced very quickly in recent years. However, compared to advanced data assimilation systems in meteorology, geomagnetic data assimilation (GDAS) is still in an early stage. Among many challenges ranging from data to models is the disparity between the short observation records and the long time scales of the core dynamics. To better utilize available observational information, we have made an effort in this study to directly assimilate the Gauss coefficients of both the core field and its secular variation (SV) obtained via global geomagnetic field modeling, aiming at understanding the dynamical responses of the core fluid to these additional observational constraints. Our studies show that the SV assimilation helps significantly to shorten the dynamo model spin-up process. The flow beneath the core-mantle boundary (CMB) responds significantly to the observed field and its SV. The strongest responses occur in the relatively small scale flow (of the degrees L is approx. 30 in spherical harmonic expansions). This part of the flow includes the axisymmetric toroidal flow (of order m = 0) and non-axisymmetric poloidal flow with m (is) greater than 5. These responses can be used to better understand the core flow and, in particular, to improve accuracies of predicting geomagnetic variability in future.

Constraints on geomagnetic secular variation modeling from electromagnetism and fluid dynamics of the Earth's core

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benton, E. R.

1986-01-01

A spherical harmonic representation of the geomagnetic field and its secular variation for epoch 1980, designated GSFC(9/84), is derived and evaluated. At three epochs (1977.5, 1980.0, 1982.5) this model incorporates conservation of magnetic flux through five selected patches of area on the core/mantle boundary bounded by the zero contours of vertical magnetic field. These fifteen nonlinear constraints are included like data in an iterative least squares parameter estimation procedure that starts with the recently derived unconstrained field model GSFC (12/83). Convergence is approached within three iterations. The constrained model is evaluated by comparing its predictive capability outside the time span of its data, in terms of residuals at magnetic observatories, with that for the unconstrained model.

Archaeomagnetic results from southern Italy and their bearing on geomagnetic secular variation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, M. E.; Hoye, G. S.

2005-07-01

Archaeodirectional results from kilns and other baked structures in southern Italy are presented. They are generally compatible with the much larger data sets from France and Bulgaria. In particular, a summary of all the results associated with the well-known eruption of Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii ( n = 9, D = 355°, I = 58°, α95 = 1.5°) provides a reliable archaeomagnetic anchor point supporting the French and Bulgarian master curves. It is extremely well-constrained in time and it comprises independent studies carried out in four different countries. Furthermore, it is derived from a diverse set of features agreement amongst which argues strongly against significant perturbations due to magnetic refraction, structural disturbance, or depositional shallowing. In terms of geomagnetic secular variation, we interpret the western European archaeomagnetic data summarized here in terms of an open loop caused by westward drift, followed by an inclination low spanning the first few centuries CE representing the signal of a static flux pulse that reaches a maximum magnetic moment of a few percent of the earth's main central dipole.

Main field and secular variation modeling with Defense Meteorological Satellite Program magnetic measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alken, P.; Olsen, N.; Finlay, C. C.; Chulliat, A.

2017-12-01

In order to investigate the spatial structure and development of rapid (sub-decadal) changes in the geomagnetic core field, including its secular variation and acceleration, global magnetic measurements from space play a crucial role. With the end of the CHAMP mission in September 2010, there has been a gap in high-quality satellite magnetic field measurements until the Swarm mission was launched in November 2013. Geomagnetic main field models during this period have relied on the global ground observatory network which, due to its sparse spatial configuration, has difficulty in resolving secular variation and acceleration at higher spherical harmonic degrees. In this presentation we will show new results in building main field models during this "gap period", based on vector magnetic measurements from four Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites. While the fluxgate instruments onboard DMSP were not designed for high-quality core field modeling, we find that the DMSP dataset can provide valuable information on secular variation and acceleration during the gap period.

Evaluation of a new paleosecular variation activity index as a diagnostic tool for geomagnetic field variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panovska, Sanja; Constable, Catherine

2015-04-01

Geomagnetic indices like Dst, K and A, have been used since the early twentieth century to characterize activity in the external part of the modern geomagnetic field and as a diagnostic for space weather. These indices reflect regional and global activity and serve as a proxy for associated physical processes. However, no such tools are yet available for the internal geomagnetic field driven by the geodynamo in Earth's liquid outer core. To some extent this reflects limited spatial and temporal sampling for longer timescales associated with paleomagnetic secular variation, but recent efforts in both paleomagnetic data gathering and modeling activity suggest that longer term characterization of the internal geomagnetic weather/climate and its variability would be useful. Specifically, we propose an index for activity in paleosecular variation, useful as both a local and global measure of field stability during so-called normal secular variation and as a means of identifying more extreme behavior associated with geomagnetic excursions and reversals. To date, geomagnetic excursions have been identified by virtual geomagnetic poles (VGPs) deviating more than some conventional limit from the geographic pole (often 45 degrees), and/or by periods of significant intensity drops below some critical value, for example 50% of the present-day field. We seek to establish a quantitative definition of excursions in paleomagnetic records by searching for synchronous directional deviations and lows in relative paleointensity. We combine paleointensity variations with deviations from the expected geocentric axial dipole (GAD) inclination in a single parameter, which we call the paleosecular variation (PSV) activity index. This new diagnostic can be used on any geomagnetic time series (individual data records, model predictions, spherical harmonic coefficients, etc.) to characterize the level of paleosecular variation activity, find excursions, or even study incipient reversals

Paleomagnetic directions and thermoluminescence dating from a bread oven-floor sequence in Lübeck (Germany): A record of 450 years of geomagnetic secular variation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schnepp, Elisabeth; Pucher, Rudolf; Goedicke, Christian; Manzano, Ana; Müller, Uwe; Lanos, Philippe

2003-02-01

A record of about 450 years of geomagnetic secular variation is presented from a single archaeological site in Lübeck (Germany) where a sequence of 25 bread oven floors has been preserved in a bakery from medieval times until today. The age dating of the oven-floor sequence is based on historical documents, 14C-dating and thermoluminescence dating. It confines the time interval from about 1300 to 1800 A.D. Paleomagnetic directions have been determined from each oven floor by means of 198 oriented hand samples. After alternating field as well as thermal demagnetization experiments, the characteristic remanent magnetization direction was obtained using principal component analysis. The mean directions of 24 oven floors are characterized by high Fisherian precision parameters (>146) and small α95 confidence limits (1.2°-4.6°). For obtaining a smooth curve of geomagnetic secular variation for Lübeck, a spherical spline function was fitted to the data using a Bayesian approach, which considers not only the obtained ages, but also stratigraphic order. Correlation with historical magnetic records suggests that the age estimation for the upper 10 layers was too young and must date from the end of the sixteenth to the mid of the eighteenth century. For the lowermost 14 layers, dating is reliable and provides a secular variation curve for Germany. The inclination shows a minimum in the fourteenth century and then increases by more than 10°. Declination shows a local minimum around 1400 A.D. followed by a maximum in the seventeenth century. This is followed by the movement of declination about 30° to western directions.

Magnetic Navigation in Sea Turtles: Insights from Secular Variation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Putman, N. F.; Lohmann, K.

2011-12-01

Sea turtles are iconic migrants that posses a sensitive magnetic-sense that guides their long-distance movements in a variety of contexts. In the first few hours after hatching turtles use the magnetic field to maintain an offshore compass heading to reach deeper water, out of the reach of nearshore predators. Young turtles engage in directed swimming in response to regional magnetic fields that exist along their transoceanic migratory path. Older turtles also use magnetic information to relocate foraging sites and islands used for nesting after displacement. Numerous hypotheses have been put forth to explain how magnetic information functions in these movements, however, there is little consensus among animal navigation researchers. A particular vexing issue is how magnetic navigation can function under the constraints of the constant, gradual shifting of the earth's magnetic field (secular variation). Here, I present a framework based on models of recent geomagnetic secular variation to explore several navigational mechanisms proposed for sea turtles. I show that while examination of secular variation likely falsifies some hypothetical navigational strategies, it provides key insights into the selective pressures that could maintain other navigational mechanisms. Moreover, examination of secular variation's influence on the navigational precision in reproductive migrations of sea turtles offers compelling explanations for the population structure along sea turtle nesting beaches as well as spatiotemporal variation in nesting turtle abundance.

Secular trends in storm-level geomagnetic activity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Love, J.J.

2011-01-01

Analysis is made of K-index data from groups of ground-based geomagnetic observatories in Germany, Britain, and Australia, 1868.0-2009.0, solar cycles 11-23. Methods include nonparametric measures of trends and statistical significance used by the hydrological and climatological research communities. Among the three observatory groups, German K data systematically record the highest disturbance levels, followed by the British and, then, the Australian data. Signals consistently seen in K data from all three observatory groups can be reasonably interpreted as physically meaninginful: (1) geomagnetic activity has generally increased over the past 141 years. However, the detailed secular evolution of geomagnetic activity is not well characterized by either a linear trend nor, even, a monotonic trend. Therefore, simple, phenomenological extrapolations of past trends in solar and geomagnetic activity levels are unlikely to be useful for making quantitative predictions of future trends lasting longer than a solar cycle or so. (2) The well-known tendency for magnetic storms to occur during the declining phase of a sunspot-solar cycles is clearly seen for cycles 14-23; it is not, however, clearly seen for cycles 11-13. Therefore, in addition to an increase in geomagnetic activity, the nature of solar-terrestrial interaction has also apparently changed over the past 141 years. ?? Author(s) 2011.

Main field and recent secular variation.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alldredge, L.R.

1983-01-01

As Cain (1979) indicated might happen in the last IUGG quadrennial report, added resources were made available during the past few years and a real impulse was added to the geomagnetic work in the US by the launching of the MAGSAT Satellite. This new effort paid off in terms of new charts, additional long wavelength studies, and external source studies. As before, however, the future funding for new starts in geomagnetism does not look bright at the present time. A single MAGSAT in orbit a little more than seven months did wonders for main field (M.F.) charting, but did little or nothing for secular variation (S.V.) charting. It would take a number of repeated MAGSATS to help the S.V. picture. Meanwhile, the world magnetic observatory net and surface repeat stations remain as the main source of S.V. data. -from Author

Are secular correlations between sunspots, geomagnetic activity, and global temperature significant?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Love, J.J.; Mursula, K.; Tsai, V.C.; Perkins, D.M.

2011-01-01

Recent studies have led to speculation that solar-terrestrial interaction, measured by sunspot number and geomagnetic activity, has played an important role in global temperature change over the past century or so. We treat this possibility as an hypothesis for testing. We examine the statistical significance of cross-correlations between sunspot number, geomagnetic activity, and global surface temperature for the years 1868-2008, solar cycles 11-23. The data contain substantial autocorrelation and nonstationarity, properties that are incompatible with standard measures of cross-correlational significance, but which can be largely removed by averaging over solar cycles and first-difference detrending. Treated data show an expected statistically- significant correlation between sunspot number and geomagnetic activity, Pearson p < 10-4, but correlations between global temperature and sunspot number (geomagnetic activity) are not significant, p = 0.9954, (p = 0.8171). In other words, straightforward analysis does not support widely-cited suggestions that these data record a prominent role for solar-terrestrial interaction in global climate change. With respect to the sunspot-number, geomagnetic-activity, and global-temperature data, three alternative hypotheses remain difficult to reject: (1) the role of solar-terrestrial interaction in recent climate change is contained wholly in long-term trends and not in any shorter-term secular variation, or, (2) an anthropogenic signal is hiding correlation between solar-terrestrial variables and global temperature, or, (3) the null hypothesis, recent climate change has not been influenced by solar-terrestrial interaction. ?? 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.

Are secular correlations between sunspots, geomagnetic activity, and global temperature significant?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Love, Jeffrey J.; Mursula, Kalevi; Tsai, Victor C.; Perkins, David M.

2011-11-01

Recent studies have led to speculation that solar-terrestrial interaction, measured by sunspot number and geomagnetic activity, has played an important role in global temperature change over the past century or so. We treat this possibility as an hypothesis for testing. We examine the statistical significance of cross-correlations between sunspot number, geomagnetic activity, and global surface temperature for the years 1868-2008, solar cycles 11-23. The data contain substantial autocorrelation and nonstationarity, properties that are incompatible with standard measures of cross-correlational significance, but which can be largely removed by averaging over solar cycles and first-difference detrending. Treated data show an expected statistically-significant correlation between sunspot number and geomagnetic activity, Pearson p < 10-4, but correlations between global temperature and sunspot number (geomagnetic activity) are not significant, p = 0.9954, (p = 0.8171). In other words, straightforward analysis does not support widely-cited suggestions that these data record a prominent role for solar-terrestrial interaction in global climate change. With respect to the sunspot-number, geomagnetic-activity, and global-temperature data, three alternative hypotheses remain difficult to reject: (1) the role of solar-terrestrial interaction in recent climate change is contained wholly in long-term trends and not in any shorter-term secular variation, or, (2) an anthropogenic signal is hiding correlation between solar-terrestrial variables and global temperature, or, (3) the null hypothesis, recent climate change has not been influenced by solar-terrestrial interaction.

A Statistical Model of the Fluctuations in the Geomagnetic Field from Paleosecular Variation to Reversal

PubMed

Camps; Prevot

1996-08-09

The statistical characteristics of the local magnetic field of Earth during paleosecular variation, excursions, and reversals are described on the basis of a database that gathers the cleaned mean direction and average remanent intensity of 2741 lava flows that have erupted over the last 20 million years. A model consisting of a normally distributed axial dipole component plus an independent isotropic set of vectors with a Maxwellian distribution that simulates secular variation fits the range of geomagnetic fluctuations, in terms of both direction and intensity. This result suggests that the magnitude of secular variation vectors is independent of the magnitude of Earth's axial dipole moment and that the amplitude of secular variation is unchanged during reversals.

An activity index for geomagnetic paleosecular variation, excursions, and reversals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panovska, S.; Constable, C. G.

2017-04-01

Magnetic indices provide quantitative measures of space weather phenomena that are widely used by researchers in geomagnetism. We introduce an index focused on the internally generated field that can be used to evaluate long term variations or climatology of modern and paleomagnetic secular variation, including geomagnetic excursions, polarity reversals, and changes in reversal rate. The paleosecular variation index, Pi, represents instantaneous or average deviation from a geocentric axial dipole field using normalized ratios of virtual geomagnetic pole colatitude and virtual dipole moment. The activity level of the index, σPi, provides a measure of field stability through the temporal standard deviation of Pi. Pi can be calculated on a global grid from geomagnetic field models to reveal large scale geographic variations in field structure. It can be determined for individual time series, or averaged at local, regional, and global scales to detect long term changes in geomagnetic activity, identify excursions, and transitional field behavior. For recent field models, Pi ranges from less than 0.05 to 0.30. Conventional definitions for geomagnetic excursions are characterized by Pi exceeding 0.5. Strong field intensities are associated with low Pi unless they are accompanied by large deviations from axial dipole field directions. σPi provides a measure of geomagnetic stability that is modulated by the level of PSV or frequency of excursional activity and reversal rate. We demonstrate uses of Pi for paleomagnetic observations and field models and show how it could be used to assess whether numerical simulations of the geodynamo exhibit Earth-like properties.

Steady induction effects in geomagnetism. Part 1A: Steady motional induction of geomagnetic chaos

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Voorhies, Coerte V.

1992-01-01

Geomagnetic effects of magnetic induction by hypothetically steady fluid motion and steady magnetic flux diffusion near the top of Earth's core are investigated using electromagnetic theory, simple magnetic earth models, and numerical experiments with geomagnetic field models. The problem of estimating a steady fluid velocity field near the top of Earth's core which induces the secular variation indicated by broad-scale models of the observed geomagnetic field is examined and solved. In Part 1, the steady surficial core flow estimation problem is solved in the context of the source-free mantle/frozen-flux core model. In the first paper (IA), the theory underlying such estimates is reviewed and some consequences of various kinematic and dynamic flow hypotheses are derived. For a frozen-flux core, fluid downwelling is required to change the mean square normal magnetic flux density averaged over the core-mantle boundary. For surficially geostrophic flow, downwelling implies poleward flow. The solution of the forward steady motional induction problem at the surface of a frozen-flux core is derived and found to be a fine, easily visualized example of deterministic chaos. Geomagnetic effects of statistically steady core surface flow may well dominate secular variation over several decades. Indeed, effects of persistent, if not steady, surficially geostrophic core flow are described which may help explain certain features of the present broad-scale geomagnetic field and perhaps paleomagnetic secular variation.

The use of MAGSAT data to determine secular variation.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cain, J.C.; Frayser, J.; Muth, L.; Schmitz, D.

1983-01-01

A combined spatial and secular variation model of the geomagnetic field, labeled M061581, is derived from a selection of MAGSAT data. Secular variation (SV) data computed from linear fits to midnight hourly values from 19 magnetic observatories were also included in the analysis but were seen to have little effect on the model. The SV patterns from this new model are compared with those from the 1980 IGRF and with those for 1970 computed by the DGRF and with the 1960 patterns computed using the GSFC(12/66) model. Most of the features of the M061581 are identical in location and level with those of the 1980 IGRF. Together they confirm that the reversals in sign of field change seen over Asia and North America between 1965 and 1975 are reverting to the pre-1965 states. The M061581 model gives -32 nT/yr for the dipole decay rate, larger than the 70% increase already reported since 1965. -Authors

A candidate secular variation model for IGRF-12 based on Swarm data and inverse geodynamo modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fournier, Alexandre; Aubert, Julien; Thébault, Erwan

2015-05-01

In the context of the 12th release of the international geomagnetic reference field (IGRF), we present the methodology we followed to design a candidate secular variation model for years 2015-2020. An initial geomagnetic field model centered around 2014.3 is first constructed, based on Swarm magnetic measurements, for both the main field and its instantaneous secular variation. This initial model is next fed to an inverse geodynamo modelling framework in order to specify, for epoch 2014.3, the initial condition for the integration of a three-dimensional numerical dynamo model. The initialization phase combines the information contained in the initial model with that coming from the numerical dynamo model, in the form of three-dimensional multivariate statistics built from a numerical dynamo run unconstrained by data. We study the performance of this novel approach over two recent 5-year long intervals, 2005-2010 and 2009-2014. For a forecast horizon of 5 years, shorter than the large-scale secular acceleration time scale (˜10 years), we find that it is safer to neglect the flow acceleration and to assume that the flow determined by the initialization is steady. This steady flow is used to advance the three-dimensional induction equation forward in time, with the benefit of estimating the effects of magnetic diffusion. The result of this deterministic integration between 2015.0 and 2020.0 yields our candidate average secular variation model for that time frame, which is thus centered on 2017.5.

Evaluation of the 1985-1990 IGRF secular variation candidates

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cain, J.C.; Kluth, C.

1987-01-01

The IGRF secular variation model for 1985-1990 was adopted by the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy at its Prague meeting in August 1985 as an average of the three candidate models submitted to the committee. We compared the three models at epoch 1985.0 against each other and against a new model based on observatory data available as of July 1, 1985. These comparisons showed that one of the three candidate models disagreed more with the other two and our model, especially in the eastern Pacific. None of the candidate models was seen to respond to a change in the secular variation of the vertical component that appears to have taken place most strongly in the western Pacific area since 1982. The lack of satellite data was seen to be a significant handicap towards prediction of the field change over most of the Earth's surface, especially the southern oceans. Maximum errors of any model are estimated to be of the order of 80 nT a-1. ?? 1987.

Recent geomagnetic secular variation from Swarm and ground observatories as estimated in the CHAOS-6 geomagnetic field model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finlay, Christopher C.; Olsen, Nils; Kotsiaros, Stavros; Gillet, Nicolas; Tøffner-Clausen, Lars

2016-07-01

We use more than 2 years of magnetic data from the Swarm mission, and monthly means from 160 ground observatories as available in March 2016, to update the CHAOS time-dependent geomagnetic field model. The new model, CHAOS-6, provides information on time variations of the core-generated part of the Earth's magnetic field between 1999.0 and 2016.5. We present details of the secular variation (SV) and secular acceleration (SA) from CHAOS-6 at Earth's surface and downward continued to the core surface. At Earth's surface, we find evidence for positive acceleration of the field intensity in 2015 over a broad area around longitude 90°E that is also seen at ground observatories such as Novosibirsk. At the core surface, we are able to map the SV up to at least degree 16. The radial field SA at the core surface in 2015 is found to be largest at low latitudes under the India-South-East Asia region, under the region of northern South America, and at high northern latitudes under Alaska and Siberia. Surprisingly, there is also evidence for significant SA in the central Pacific region, for example near Hawaii where radial field SA is observed on either side of a jerk in 2014. On the other hand, little SV or SA has occurred over the past 17 years in the southern polar region. Inverting for a quasi-geostrophic core flow that accounts for this SV, we obtain a prominent planetary-scale, anti-cyclonic, gyre centred on the Atlantic hemisphere. We also find oscillations of non-axisymmetric, azimuthal, jets at low latitudes, for example close to 40°W, that may be responsible for localized SA oscillations. In addition to scalar data from Ørsted, CHAMP, SAC-C and Swarm, and vector data from Ørsted, CHAMP and Swarm, CHAOS-6 benefits from the inclusion of along-track differences of scalar and vector field data from both CHAMP and the three Swarm satellites, as well as east-west differences between the lower pair of Swarm satellites, Alpha and Charlie. Moreover, ground observatory SV

The Egyptian geomagnetic reference field to the Epoch, 2010.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deebes, H. A.; Abd Elaal, E. M.; Arafa, T.; Lethy, A.; El Emam, A.; Ghamry, E.; Odah, H.

2017-06-01

The present work is a compilation of two tasks within the frame of the project ;Geomagnetic Survey & Detailed Geomagnetic Measurements within the Egyptian Territory; funded by the ;Science and Technology Development Fund agency (STDF);. The National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG), has conducted a new extensive land geomagnetic survey that covers the whole Egyptian territory. The field measurements have been done at 3212 points along all the asphalted roads, defined tracks, and ill-defined tracks in Egypt; with total length of 11,586 km. In the present work, the measurements cover for the first time new areas as: the southern eastern borders of Egypt including Halayeb and Shlatin, the Quattara depresion in the western desert, and the new roads between Farafra and Baharia oasis. Also marine geomagnetic survey have been applied for the first time in Naser lake. Misallat and Abu-Simble geomagnetic observatories have been used to reduce the field data to the Epoch 2010. During the field measurements, whenever possible, the old stations occupied by the previous observers have been re-occupied to determine the secular variations at these points. The geomagnetic anomaly maps, the normal geomagnetic field maps with their corresponding secular variation maps, the normal geomagnetic field equations of the geomagnetic elements (EGRF) and their corresponding secular variations equations, are outlined. The anomalous sites, as discovered from the anomaly maps are, only, mentioned. In addition, a correlation between the International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) 2010.0 and the Egyptian Geomagnetic Reference Field (EGRF) 2010 is indicated.

Development of a Process Based Paleomagnetic Secular Variation Dating Curve for the Northern Hemisphere Through the Radiocarbon Interval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoner, J. S.; Reilly, B. T.; Walczak, M. H.; Mix, A. C.; Lavoie, N.; Velle, J. H.; St-Onge, G.; Xuan, C.

2017-12-01

Paleomagnetic secular variation is a well-known centennial to millennial stratigraphic dating tool, but is generally considered to be regionally limited. Recent observations from the Holocene suggest that such spatial limitations may result from our incomplete understanding of field dynamics, rather than actual geomagnetic limitations. Comparisons of independently well-dated, high-resolution paleomagnetic secular variation records from the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere—including Asia, Northwest Pacific, Northeast Pacific, North America, North Atlantic, and Europe—reveal the existence of a primary (there may be others) coherent millennial scale oscillation of the geomagnetic field. This oscillation is observed using different geomagnetic parameters (e.g., inclination, declination, intensity) and signs depending on the site's location relative to the region of primary geomagnetic flux. This distinct spatial and temporal pattern is consistent with oscillations of geomagnetic flux recurring at just a few locations. The recurring persistence of this pattern, through the Holocene and possibly much longer, implicates lower mantle heterogeneity as a likely driver of field morphology. As with any paleo reconstructions, data coverage is far from perfect and as a result the geomagnetic details are just coming into focus. Yet, the stratigraphic potential is readily apparent and, if iteratively used, could significantly enhance our geomagnetic understanding as well as facilitate chronological control in a variety of settings. Here we explore the nature, uncertainties, and implications; including our initial attempt to extend the oscillation beyond the Holocene and through the radiocarbon interval starting from a Northeast Pacific perspective. Our intent is to develop a type curve with constrained uncertainties that can be used for stratigraphic correlation around the Northern Hemisphere as we move toward a process based dynamic magnetostratigraphic understanding.

A global analysis of the 1991 geomagnetic jerk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Michelis, Paola; Cafarella, Lili; Meloni, Antonio

2000-12-01

A recent examination of the geomagnetic annual mean values for the European magnetic observatories has shown the existence of a sudden change in the secular acceleration in about 1991 (Cafarella & Meloni 1995; Macmillan 1996). Using first differences of the Y (east geomagnetic field component) mean values from 74 observatories, the worldwide character of the 1991 impulse has been determined (De Michelis et al. 1998). Using data from 109 observatories widely distributed all over the world, the structure of the secular variation for the X (north) and Z (vertical) magnetic field intensities around 1990 was investigated, and evidence of this most recent jerk was found. External effects were removed from the annual mean data by comparing the long-term variations of the geomagnetic field components at individual observatories with the long-term variations of two geomagnetic indices, aa and Dst, and of a solar index, the Wolf number R. A careful analysis has been carried out on the amplitude of the external disturbance, on its dependence on latitude, and on the weights of the geomagnetic indices in the evaluation of the resulting external field. The secular variation has been evaluated from the corrected annual means. Around 1990, the secular variation can be fitted at many observatories by two straight lines with a sudden and marked change in slope. In this manner the jerk occurrence time and the intensity of the step in the second time derivative (ΔX'', ΔY'' and ΔZ'') were computed. Maps of ΔX'', ΔY'' and ΔZ'' provide information on the worldwide intensity distribution of the examined event. Maps of the jerk occurrence-time distributions are also given. The mean jerk occurrence time is 1990.1+/-0.6. Finally, a spherical harmonic analysis was used to complete the quantitative description of this phenomenon in order to study the trend of the energy density spectrum as a function of the harmonic degree n.

Evaluating secular acceleration in geomagnetic field model GRIMM-3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lesur, V.; Wardinski, I.

2012-12-01

Secular acceleration of the magnetic field is the rate of change of its secular variation. One of the main results of studying magnetic data collected by the German survey satellite CHAMP was the mapping of field acceleration and its evolution in time. Questions remain about the accuracy of the modeled acceleration and the effect of the applied regularization processes. We have evaluated to what extent the regularization affects the temporal variability of the Gauss coefficients. We also obtained results of temporal variability of the Gauss coefficients where alternative approaches to the usual smoothing norms have been applied for regularization. Except for the dipole term, the secular acceleration of the Gauss coefficients is fairly well described up to spherical harmonic degree 5 or 6. There is no clear evidence from observatory data that the spectrum of this acceleration is underestimated at the Earth surface. Assuming a resistive mantle, the observed acceleration supports a characteristic time scale for the secular variation of the order of 11 years.

On the geomagnetic jerk of 1969

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcleod, M. G.

1985-01-01

Courtillot et al. (1978) have first reported a sudden change in the slope of the first time derivatives of the geomagnetic field components which occurred around 1970. It was found that the change took place in a large part of the northern hemisphere. Malin and Hodder (1982) reported on studies which were conducted to determine whether this 1970 step change in the second time derivative of the geomagnetic field components, which they termed a geomagnetic 'jerk', was of internal or external origin. It was concluded that internal sources can give rise to changes in secular variation on time scales as short as one or two years and that these were the major factor in the geomagnetic jerk which occurred around 1970. The present paper provides new supporting evidence for the existence of a worldwide geomagnetic jerk, its (average) time of occurrence, and its internal nature. New estimates are given of the spherical harmonic coefficients of the jerk and of the pre-1969 and post-1969 secular acceleration.

Variations in the geomagnetic dipole moment during the Holocene and the past 50 kyr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knudsen, Mads Faurschou; Riisager, Peter; Donadini, Fabio; Snowball, Ian; Muscheler, Raimund; Korhonen, Kimmo; Pesonen, Lauri J.

2008-07-01

All absolute paleointensity data published in peer-reviewed journals were recently compiled in the GEOMAGIA50 database. Based on the information in GEOMAGIA50, we reconstruct variations in the geomagnetic dipole moment over the past 50 kyr, with a focus on the Holocene period. A running-window approach is used to determine the axial dipole moment that provides the optimal least-squares fit to the paleointensity data, whereas associated error estimates are constrained using a bootstrap procedure. We subsequently compare the reconstruction from this study with previous reconstructions of the geomagnetic dipole moment, including those based on cosmogenic radionuclides ( 10Be and 14C). This comparison generally lends support to the axial dipole moments obtained in this study. Our reconstruction shows that the evolution of the dipole moment was highly dynamic, and the recently observed rates of change (5% per century) do not appear unique. We observe no apparent link between the occurrence of archeomagnetic jerks and changes in the geomagnetic dipole moment, suggesting that archeomagnetic jerks most likely represent drastic changes in the orientation of the geomagnetic dipole axis or periods characterized by large secular variation of the non-dipole field. This study also shows that the Holocene geomagnetic dipole moment was high compared to that of the preceding ˜ 40 kyr, and that ˜ 4 · 10 22 Am 2 appears to represent a critical threshold below which geomagnetic excursions and reversals occur.

Main field and secular variation candidate models for the 12th IGRF generation after 10 months of Swarm measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saturnino, Diana; Langlais, Benoit; Civet, François; Thébault, Erwan; Mandea, Mioara

2015-06-01

We describe the main field and secular variation candidate models for the 12th generation of the International Geomagnetic Reference Field model. These two models are derived from the same parent model, in which the main field is extrapolated to epoch 2015.0 using its associated secular variation. The parent model is exclusively based on measurements acquired by the European Space Agency Swarm mission between its launch on 11/22/2013 and 09/18/2014. It is computed up to spherical harmonic degree and order 25 for the main field, 13 for the secular variation, and 2 for the external field. A selection on local time rather than on true illumination of the spacecraft was chosen in order to keep more measurements. Data selection based on geomagnetic indices was used to minimize the external field contributions. Measurements were screened and outliers were carefully removed. The model uses magnetic field intensity measurements at all latitudes and magnetic field vector measurements equatorward of 50° absolute quasi-dipole magnetic latitude. A second model using only the vertical component of the measured magnetic field and the total intensity was computed. This companion model offers a slightly better fit to the measurements. These two models are compared and discussed.We discuss in particular the quality of the model which does not use the full vector measurements and underline that this approach may be used when only partial directional information is known. The candidate models and their associated companion models are retrospectively compared to the adopted IGRF which allows us to criticize our own choices.

Geomagnetic fluctuations during a polarity transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Audunsson, Haraldur; Levi, Shaul

1997-01-01

The extensive Roza Member of the Columbia River Basalt Group (Washington State) has intermediate paleomagnetic directions, bracketed by underlying normal and overlying reverse polarity flows. A consistent paleomagnetic direction was measured at 11 widely distributed outcrops; the average direction has a declination of 189° and an inclination of -5°, with greater variation in the inclination [Rietman, 1966]. In this study the Roza Member was sampled in two Pasco Basin drillcores, where it is a single cooling unit and its thickness exceeds 50 m. Excellent core recovery allowed uniform and dense sampling of the drillcores. During its protracted cooling, the Roza flow in the drillcores recorded part of a 15.5 Ma geomagnetic polarity transition. The inclination has symmetric, quasicyclic intraflow variation, while the declination is nearly constant, consistent with the results from the outcrops. Thermal models of the cooling flow provide the timing for remanence acquisition. The inclination is inferred to have progressed from 0° to -15° and back to -3°over a period of 15 to 60 years, at rates of 1.6° to 0.5°/yr. Because the geomagnetic intensity was probably weak during the transition, these apparently high rates of change are not significantly different from present-day secular variation. These results agree with the hypothesis that normal secular variation persists through geomagnetic transitions. The Iow-amplitude quasicyclical fluctuations of the field over tens of years, recorded by Roza, suggest that the geomagnetic field reverses in discrete steps, and that more than 15-60 years were required to complete this reversal.

Fast geomagnetic Field Intensity Variations between 1400 and 400 BCE: New Archaeointensity Data from Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hervé, G.; Schnepp, E.; Metzler-Nebelsick, C.; Lhuillier, F.; Gilder, S.; Genevey, A.; Fassbinder, J.; Gallet, Y.

2017-12-01

Thirty-five mean archaeointensity data were obtained on ceramic sherds dated between 1400 and 400 BCE from sites located near Munich, Germany. The 453 sherds were collected from 52 graves, pits and wells dated by archaeological correlation, radiocarbon and/or dendrochronology. Rock magnetic analyses indicate that the remanent magnetization was mainly carried by magnetite. Data from Thellier-Thellier experiments were corrected for anisotropy and cooling rate effects. Triaxe and multispecimen (MSP-DSC) protocols were also measured on a subset of specimens. Around 60% of the samples provide reliable results when using stringent criteria selection. The 35 average archaeointensity values based on 154 pots are consistent with previous data and triple the Western Europe database between 1400 and 400 BCE. A secular variation curve for central-western Europe, built using a Bayesian approach, shows a double oscillation in geomagnetic field strength with intensity maxima of 70 μT around 1000-900 BCE and another up to 90 μT around 600-500 BCE. The maximum rate of variation was 0.25 μT/yr circa 700 BCE. The secular variation trend in Western Europe is similar to that observed in the Middle East and the Caucasus except that we find no evidence for hyper-rapid field variations (i.e. geomagnetic spikes). Virtual Axial Dipole Moments from Western Europe, the Middle East and central Asia differ by more than 20 ZA·m2 prior to 600 BCE, which signifies a departure from an axial dipole field especially between 1000 and 600 BCE. Our observations suggest that the regional Levantine Iron Age anomaly has been accompanied by an increase of the axial dipole moment together with a tilt of the dipole.

Morphology of the southern African geomagnetic field derived from observatory and repeat station survey observations: 2005-2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotzé, P. B.; Korte, M.

2016-02-01

Geomagnetic field data from four observatories and annual field surveys between 2005 and 2015 provide a detailed description of Earth's magnetic field changes over South Africa, Namibia and Botswana on time scales of less than 1 year. The southern African area is characterized by rapid changes in the secular variation pattern and lies in close proximity to the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) where the geomagnetic field intensity is almost 30 % weaker than in other regions at similar latitudes around the globe. Several geomagnetic secular acceleration (SA) pulses (geomagnetic jerks) around 2007, 2010 and 2012 could be identified over the last decade in southern Africa. We present a new regional field model for declination and horizontal and vertical intensity over southern Africa (Southern African REGional (SAREG)) which is based on field survey and observatory data and covering the time interval from 2005 to 2014, i.e. including the period between 2010 and 2013 when no low Earth-orbiting vector field satellite data are available. A comparative evaluation between SAREG and global field models like CHAOS-5, the CHAMP, Orsted and SAC-C model of the Earth's magnetic field and International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF-12) reveals that a simple regional field model based on a relatively dense ground network is able to provide a realistic representation of the geomagnetic field in this area. We particularly note that a global field model like CHAOS-5 does not always indicate similar short-period patterns in the field components as revealed by observatory data, while representing the general secular variation reasonably well during the time interval without near-Earth satellite vector field data. This investigation further shows the inhomogeneous occurrence and distribution of secular variation impulses in the different geomagnetic field components and at different locations in southern African.

Geomagnetic main field modeling using magnetohydrodynamic constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Estes, R. H.

1985-01-01

The influence of physical constraints are investigated which may be approximately satisfied by the Earth's liquid core on models of the geomagnetic main field and its secular variation. A previous report describes the methodology used to incorporate nonlinear equations of constraint into the main field model. The application of that methodology to the GSFC 12/83 field model to test the frozen-flux hypothesis and the usefulness of incorporating magnetohydrodynamic constraints for obtaining improved geomagnetic field models is described.

Evaluation of using R-SCHA to simultaneously model main field and secular variation multilevel geomagnetic data for the North Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talarn, Àngela; Pavón-Carrasco, F. Javier; Torta, J. Miquel; Catalán, Manuel

2017-02-01

One efficient approach to modelling the Earth's core magnetic field involves the inclusion of crossover marine data which cover areas lacking in observatory and repeat station data for epochs when precise three-component satellite magnetic field measurements were not common. In this study, we show how the Revised Spherical Cap Harmonic Analysis (R-SCHA) can appropriately provide a continuous-time field model for the North Atlantic region by using multilevel sets of geomagnetic data such as marine, repeat station, observatory, and satellite data. Taking advantage of the properties of the R-SCHA basis functions we can model the radial and horizontal variations of the main field and its secular variation with the most suitable spatial and temporal wavelengths. To assess the best compromise between the data fit and the model roughness, temporal and spatial regularization matrices were implemented in the modelling approach. Two additional strategies were also used to obtain a satisfactory regional model: the opportunity to fit the anomaly bias at each observatory location, and constraining the regional model to the CHAOS-6 model at the end of its period of validity, i.e. 1999-2000, allowing a smooth transition with the predictions of this recent model. In terms of the root mean square error, the degree of success was limited partly because of the high uncertainties associated with some of the datasets (especially the marine ones), but we have produced a model that performs comparably to the global models for the period 1960-2000, thus showing the benefits of using this regional technique.

Geomagnetic field declination: from decadal to centennial scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobrica, Venera; Demetrescu, Crisan; Mandea, Mioara

2018-04-01

Declination annual mean time series longer than 1 century provided by 24 geomagnetic observatories worldwide, together with 5 Western European reconstructed declination series over the last 4 centuries, have been analyzed in terms of the frequency constituents of the secular variation at inter-decadal and sub-centennial timescales of 20-35 and 70-90 years. Observatory and reconstructed time series have been processed by several types of filtering, namely Hodrick-Prescott, running averages, and Butterworth. The Hodrick-Prescott filtering allows us to separate a quasi-oscillation at a decadal timescale, which is assumed to be related to external variations and called the 11-year constituent, from a long-term trend. The latter has been decomposed into two other oscillations called inter-decadal and sub-centennial constituents by applying a Butterworth filtering with cutoffs at 30 and 73 years, respectively. The analysis shows that the generally accepted geomagnetic jerks occur around extrema in the time derivative of the trend and coincide with extrema in the time derivative of the 11-year constituent. The sub-centennial constituent is traced back to 1600 in the five 400-year-long time series and seems to be a major constituent of the secular variation, geomagnetic jerks included.

Improving geomagnetic observatory data in the South Atlantic Anomaly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matzka, Jürgen; Morschhauser, Achim; Brando Soares, Gabriel; Pinheiro, Katia

2016-04-01

The Swarm mission clearly proofs the benefit of coordinated geomagnetic measurements from a well-tailored constellation in order to recover as good as possible the contributions of the various geomagnetic field sources. A similar truth applies to geomagnetic observatories. Their scientific value can be maximised by properly arranging the position of individual observatories with respect to the geometry of the external current systems in the ionosphere and magnetosphere, with respect to regions of particular interest for secular variation, and with respect to regions of anomalous electric conductivity in the ground. Here, we report on our plans and recent efforts to upgrade geomagnetic observatories and to recover unpublished data from geomagnetic observatories at low latitudes in the South Atlantic Anomaly. In particular, we target the magnetic equator with the equatorial electrojet and low latitudes to characterise the Sq- and ring current. The observatory network that we present allows also to study the longitudinal structure of these external current systems. The South Atlantic Anomaly region is very interesting due to its secular variation. We will show newly recovered data and comparisons with existing data sets. On the technical side, we introduce low-power data loggers. In addition, we use mobile phone data transfer, which is rapidly evolving in the region and allows timely data access and quality control at remote sites that previously were not connected to the internet.

Fast geomagnetic field intensity variations between 1400 and 400 BCE: New archaeointensity data from Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hervé, Gwenaël; Faβbinder, Jörg; Gilder, Stuart A.; Metzner-Nebelsick, Carola; Gallet, Yves; Genevey, Agnès; Schnepp, Elisabeth; Geisweid, Leonhard; Pütz, Anja; Reuβ, Simone; Wittenborn, Fabian; Flontas, Antonia; Linke, Rainer; Riedel, Gerd; Walter, Florian; Westhausen, Imke

2017-09-01

Thirty-five mean archaeointensity data were obtained on ceramic sherds dated between 1400 and 400 BCE from sites located near Munich, Germany. The 453 sherds were collected from 52 graves, pits and wells dated by archaeological correlation, radiocarbon and/or dendrochronology. Rock magnetic analyses indicate that the remanent magnetization was mainly carried by magnetite. Data from Thellier-Thellier experiments were corrected for anisotropy and cooling rate effects. Triaxe and multispecimen (MSP-DSC) protocols were also measured on a subset of specimens. Around 60% of the samples provide reliable results when using stringent criteria selection. The 35 average archaeointensity values based on 154 pots are consistent with previous data and triple the Western Europe database between 1400 and 400 BCE. A secular variation curve for central-western Europe, built using a Bayesian approach, shows a double oscillation in geomagnetic field strength with intensity maxima of ∼70 μT around 1000-900 BCE and another up to ∼90 μT around 600-500 BCE. The maximum rate of variation was ∼0.25 μT/yr circa 700 BCE. The secular variation trend in Western Europe is similar to that observed in the Middle East and the Caucasus except that we find no evidence for hyper-rapid field variations (i.e. geomagnetic spikes). Virtual Axial Dipole Moments from Western Europe, the Middle East and central Asia differ by more than 2·1022 A·m2 prior to 600 BCE, which signifies a departure from an axial dipole field especially between 1000 and 600 BCE. Our observations suggest that the regional Levantine Iron Age anomaly has been accompanied by an increase of the axial dipole moment together with a tilt of the dipole.

Geomagnetic Jerks in the Swarm Era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, William; Beggan, Ciaran; Macmillan, Susan

2016-08-01

The timely provision of geomagnetic observations as part of the European Space Agency (ESA) Swarm mission means up-to-date analysis and modelling of the Earth's magnetic field can be conducted rapidly in a manner not possible before. Observations from each of the three Swarm constellation satellites are available within 4 days and a database of close-to-definitive ground observatory measurements is updated every 3 months. This makes it possible to study very recent variations of the core magnetic field. Here we investigate rapid, unpredictable internal field variations known as geomagnetic jerks. Given that jerks represent (currently) unpredictable changes in the core field and have been identified to have happened in 2014 since Swarm was launched, we ask what impact this might have on the future accuracy of the International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF). We assess the performance of each of the IGRF-12 secular variation model candidates in light of recent jerks, given that four of the nine candidates are novel physics-based predictive models.

Solar generated quasi-biennial geomagnetic variation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sugiura, M.; Poros, D. J.

1977-01-01

The existence of highly correlated quasi-biennial variations in the geomagnetic field and in solar activity is demonstrated. The analysis uses a numerical filter technique applied to monthly averages of the geomagnetic horizontal component and of the Zurich relative sunspot number. Striking correlations are found between the quasi-biennial geomagnetic variations determined from several magnetic observatories located at widely different longitudes, indicating a worldwide nature of the obtained variation. The correlation coefficient between the filtered Dst index and the filtered relative sunspot number is found to be -0.79 at confidence level greater than 99% with a time-lag of 4 months, with solar activity preceding the Dst variation. The correlation between the unfiltered data of Dst and of the sunspot number is also high with a similar time-lag. Such a timelag has not been discussed in the literature, and a further study is required to establish the mode of sun-earth relationship that gives this time delay.

Daily variation characteristics at polar geomagnetic observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lepidi, S.; Cafarella, L.; Pietrolungo, M.; Di Mauro, D.

2011-08-01

This paper is based on the statistical analysis of the diurnal variation as observed at six polar geomagnetic observatories, three in the Northern and three in the Southern hemisphere. Data are for 2006, a year of low geomagnetic activity. We compared the Italian observatory Mario Zucchelli Station (TNB; corrected geomagnetic latitude: 80.0°S), the French-Italian observatory Dome C (DMC; 88.9°S), the French observatory Dumont D'Urville (DRV; 80.4°S) and the three Canadian observatories, Resolute Bay (RES; 83.0°N), Cambridge Bay (CBB; 77.0°N) and Alert (ALE, 87.2°N). The aim of this work was to highlight analogies and differences in daily variation as observed at the different observatories during low geomagnetic activity year, also considering Interplanetary Magnetic Field conditions and geomagnetic indices.

VO-ESD: a virtual observatory approach to describe the geomagnetic field temporal variations with application to Swarm data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saturnino, Diana; Langlais, Benoit; Amit, Hagay; Mandea, Mioara; Civet, François; Beucler, Éric

2017-04-01

A complete description of the main geomagnetic field temporal variation is crucial to understand dynamics in the core. This variation, termed secular variation (SV), is known with high accuracy at ground magnetic observatory locations. However the description of its spatial variability is hampered by the globally uneven distribution of the observatories. For the past two decades a global coverage of the field changes has been allowed by satellites. Their surveys of the geomagnetic field have been used to derive and improve global spherical harmonic (SH) models through some strict data selection schemes to minimise external field contributions. But discrepancies remain between ground measurements and field predictions by these models. Indeed, the global models do not reproduce small spatial scales of the field temporal variations. To overcome this problem we propose a modified Virtual Observatory (VO) approach by defining a globally homogeneous mesh of VOs at satellite altitude. With this approach we directly extract time series of the field and its temporal variation from satellite measurements as it is done at observatory locations. As satellite measurements are acquired at different altitudes a correction for the altitude is needed. Therefore, we apply an Equivalent Source Dipole (ESD) technique for each VO and each given time interval to reduce all measurements to a unique location, leading to time series similar to those available at ground magnetic observatories. Synthetic data is first used to validate the new VO-ESD approach. Then, we apply our scheme to measurements from the Swarm mission. For the first time, a 2.5 degrees resolution global mesh of VO times series is built. The VO-ESD derived time series are locally compared to ground observations as well as to satellite-based model predictions. The approach is able to describe detailed temporal variations of the field at local scales. The VO-ESD time series are also used to derive global SH models. Without

First geomagnetic measurements in the Antarctic region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raspopov, O. M.; Demina, I. M.; Meshcheryakov, V. V.

2014-05-01

Based on data from literature and archival sources, we have further processed and analyzed the results of geomagnetic measurements made during the 1772-1775 Second World Expedition by James Cook and the 1819-1821 overseas Antarctic Expedition by Russian mariners Bellingshausen and Lazarev. Comparison with the GUFM historical model showed that there are systematic differences in the spatial structure of both the declination and its secular variation. The results obtained can serve as a basis for the construction of regional models of the geomagnetic field for the Antarctic region.

Results of geomagnetic observations in Central Africa by Portuguese explorers during 1877 1885

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaquero, José M.; Trigo, Ricardo M.

2006-08-01

In this short contribution, geomagnetic measurements in Central Africa made by Capelo and Ivens - two Portuguese explorers - during the years 1877 and 1885 are provided. We show the scarce number of geomagnetic observation in Africa compiled until now. These Portuguese explorers performed a considerable amount of measurements of geomagnetic declination (44 measurements), inclination (50) and horizontal component (50) of the geomagnetic field. We compared the results attained by these keen observers with those derived from the global geomagnetic model by Jackson et al. [Jackson, A., Jonkers, A.,Walker, M., 2000. Four centuries of geomagnetic secular variation from historical records. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 358, 957-990].

A Secular Variation Model for Igrf-12 Based on Swarm Data and Inverse Geodynamo Modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fournier, A.; Aubert, J.; Erwan, T.

2014-12-01

We are proposing a secular variation candidate model for the 12th generation of the international geomagnetic reference field, spanning the years 2015-2020. The novelty of our approach stands in the initialization of a 5-yr long integration of a numerical model of Earth's dynamo by means of inverse geodynamo modelling, as introduced by Aubert (GJI, 2014). This inverse technique combines the information coming from the observations (in the form of an instantaneous estimate of the Gauss coefficients for the magnetic field and its secular variation) with that coming from the multivariate statistics of a free run of a numerical model of the geodynamo. The Gauss coefficients and their error covariance properties are determined from Swarm data along the lines detailed by Thébault et al. (EPS, 2010). The numerical model of the geodynamo is the so-called Coupled Earth Dynamo model (Aubert et al., Nature, 2013), whose variability possesses a strong level of similarity with that of the geomagnetic field. We illustrate and assess the potential of this methodology by applying it to recent time intervals, with an initialization based on CHAMP data, and conclude by presenting our SV candidate, whose initialization is based on the 1st year of Swarm data This work is supported by the French "Agence Nationale de la Recherche" under the grant ANR-11-BS56-011 (http://avsgeomag.ipgp.fr) and by the CNES. References: Aubert, J., Geophys. J. Int. 197, 1321-1334, 2014, doi: 10.1093/gji/ggu064 Aubert, J., Finlay, C., Fournier, F. Nature 502, 219-223, 2013, doi: 10.1038/nature12574 Thébault E. , A. Chulliat, S. Maus, G. Hulot, B. Langais, A. Chambodut and M. Menvielle, Earth Planets Space, Vol. 62 (No. 10), pp. 753-763, 2010.

High-resolution chronology of sediment below CCD based on Holocene paleomagnetic secular variations in the Tohoku-oki earthquake rupture zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanamatsu, Toshiya; Usami, Kazuko; McHugh, Cecilia M. G.; Ikehara, Ken

2017-08-01

Using high-resolution paleomagnetic data, we examined the potential for obtaining precise ages from sediment core samples recovered from deep-sea basins close to rupture zones of the 2011 and earlier earthquakes off Tohoku, Japan. Obtaining detailed stratigraphic ages from deep-sea sediments below the calcium compensation depth (CCD) is difficult, but we found that the samples contain excellent paleomagnetic secular variation records to constrain age models. Variations in paleomagnetic directions obtained from the sediments reveal systematic changes in the cores. A stacked paleomagnetic profile closely matches the Lake Biwa data sets in southwest Japan for the past 7000 years, one can establish age models based on secular variations of the geomagnetic field on sediments recovered uniquely below the CCD. Comparison of paleomagnetic directions near a tephra and a paleomagnetic direction of contemporaneous pyroclastic flow deposits acquired by different magnetization processes shows precise depositional ages reflecting the magnetization delay of the marine sediment record.