Geomagnetic secular acceleration

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy, 2019

New mathematical constructions are developed for the regression smoothing of discrete time series defined on an irregular grid. The new method is used to study secular trends for the period 1991-2015 and relies on observations of three components of the magnetic field at five geomagnetic observatories of the INTERMAGNET network. The detected changes in the trend coincided in time with the jerk properties calculated by conventional methods, which indicates the applicability of the method of regression derivatives to geophysical problems.

Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 2000

We present a new model of the magnetic eld at the core{mantle boundary for the interval 1590{1990. The model, called gufm1, is based on a massive new compilation of historical observations of the magnetic eld. The greater part of the new dataset originates from unpublished observations taken by mariners engaged in merchant and naval shipping. Considerable attention is given to both correction of data for possible mislocation (originating from poor knowledge of longitude) and to proper allocation of error in the data. We adopt a stochastic model for uncorrected positional errors that properly accounts for the nature of the noise process based on a Brownian motion model. The variability of navigational errors as a function of the duration of the voyages that we have analysed is consistent with this model. For the period before 1800, more than 83 000 individual observations of magnetic declination were recorded at more than 64 000 locations; more than 8000 new observations are for the 17th century alone. The time-dependent eld model that we construct from the dataset is parametrized spatially in terms of spherical harmonics and temporally in B-splines, using a total of 36 512 parameters. The model has improved the resolution of the core eld, and represents the longest continuous model of the eld available. However, full exploitation of the database may demand a new modelling methodology.

Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2007

Observatory monthly means provide an excellent opportunity to study the temporal changes of the magnetic field at a given location. Unfortunately, the uneven distribution of the present observatory network makes it difficult to determine the global field change pattern. Recently, we have developed an approach to extract satellite monthly means at a regular network of "virtual observatories" at 400 km altitude, based on CHAMP magnetic measurements.

Advances in Space Research, 2011

The aim of this work is to investigate the nature of the daily magnetic field perturbations produced by ionospheric and magnetospheric currents at high latitudes. We analyse the hourly means of the X and Y geomagnetic field components recorded by a meridian chain of permanent geomagnetic observatories in the polar region of the Northern Hemisphere during a period of four years (1995-1998) around the solar minimum. We apply a mathematical method, known as natural orthogonal component (NOC), which is capable of characterizing the dominant modes of the geomagnetic field daily variability through a set of empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs). Using the first two modes we reconstruct a two-dimensional equivalent current representation of the ionospheric electric currents, which contribute substantially to the geomagnetic daily variations. The obtained current structures resemble the equivalent current patterns of DP2 and DP1. We characterize these currents by studying their evolution with the geomagnetic activity level and by analysing their dependence on the interplanetary magnetic field. The obtained results support the idea of a coexistence of two main processes during all analysed period although one of them, the directly driven process, represents the dominant component of the geomagnetic daily variation.

2016

We introduce a quasi-geostrophic model of core dynamics, which aims at describing core processes on geomagnetic secular variation timescales. It extends the formalism of Alfvén torsional oscillations by incorporating non-zonal motions. Within this framework, the magnetohydrodynamics takes place in the equatorial plane; it involves quadratic magnetic quantities, which are averaged along the direction of rotation of the Earth. In addition, the equatorial flow is projected on the core-mantle boundary. It interacts with the magnetic field at the core surface, through the radial component of the magnetic induction equation. That part of the model connects the dynamics and the observed secular variation, with the radial component of the magnetic field acting as a passive tracer. We resort to variational data assimilation to construct formally the relationship between model predictions and observations. Variational data assimilation seeks to minimize an objective function, by computing its sensitivity to its control variables. The sensitivity is efficiently calculated after integration of the adjoint model. We illustrate that framework with twin experiments, performed first in the case of the kinematic core flow inverse problem, and then in the case of Alfvén torsional oscillations. In both cases, using the adjoint model allows us to retrieve core state variables which, while taking part in the dynamics, are not directly sampled at the core surface. We study the effect of several factors on the solution (width of the assimilation time window, amount and quality of data), and we discuss the potential of the model to deal with real geomagnetic observations.

Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 2010

We analyze the relationship between some space weather indices (Dst, Ap, F10.7) and geomagnetic effects on the regional (European) scale, over the period 1960-2001. The remaining external field signal (RES) detected in the Northward magnetic component of the European observatory annual means are used as an indicator of the regional geomagnetic activity. Relationship RES-F10.7 suggests correction factors for getting the geomagnetic annual means of the Northern component less affected by the external sources. We have found some time lags among investigated parameters. These delays may suggest that the Ap responds to the solar activity in a differently than Dst and RES, Ap being more sensitive to the high-speed streams (HSS) and the Alfvenic waves present in HSS, while Dst and RES being more influenced by the coronal mass ejections activity (CME).

Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 2012

At observatory locations, the Earth's magnetic field displays an almost constant secular acceleration, except at times of geomagnetic jerks when this quantity suddenly changes its value. The 2003 geomagnetic jerk was the first to have been recorded globally and uniformly over the Earth, and is well captured by time-varying spherical harmonic models of the geomagnetic field, based on satellite data. We jointly derive instantaneous estimates of the core surface flow and acceleration accounting for the field secular variation and acceleration given by such models. We consider epochs just before and after the 2003 event and show that no steady flow, no matter how general, can simultaneously account for the observed secular variation and acceleration at either epoch. Assuming the flow to be tangentially geostrophic, we next show that even purely toroidal zonal flow accelerations cannot account for the observed secular acceleration and conclude that more general tangentially geostrophic flow accelerations are required by the data. These flow accelerations, however, may well be equatorially symmetric, as predicted by theoretical considerations. Investigating the flow acceleration change throughout the 2003 event shows that these also may be equatorially symmetric, but definitely not purely toroidal zonal. This unambiguously confirms earlier suggestions that the 2003 geomagnetic jerk was a more complex phenomena than a simple consequence of torsional oscillations.

Earth, Planets and Space, 2005

The rate of secular variation occasionally undergoes a sudden, sharp change, called a geomagnetic jerk. Such jerks have been detected in geomagnetic time series, centered-over the last four decades-around 1971, 1980, 1991, and 1999; others have been inferred from historical records. The geomagnetic jerks represent a reorganization of the secular variation, implying an internal origin, as established through spherical harmonic and wavelet analysis. However, some characteristics of jerks are not well understood. Here we estimate the occurrence dates for geomagnetic jerks, as they can be detected from a global geomagnetic model. This choice makes the present study novel, for two reasons. First, utilizing the comprehensive modelling approach allows for the use of a secular variation signal free of time-varying external fields and their corresponding induced counterpart, and observatory biases. Second, the model utilizes satellite data when available, in addition to observatory data. Indeed, POGO (1967 to 1971), MAGSAT (1979 to 1980), Ørsted (1999 to present time) and CHAMP (2000 to present time) satellite measurements help to separate the different magnetic sources. In this study the CM4 comprehensive model is used for a global search of geomagnetic jerks and their occurrence dates. Our first result indicates that found geomagnetic jerks might not have been worldwide in occurrence. Moreover, the obtained dates suggest that jerks detected in the CM4 model over the last four decades occurred not simultaneously but at slightly different times around

J. Geophys. Res, 2012

The first time derivative of residual length-of-day observations is known to contain a distinctive 6 year periodic oscillation. Here we theorize that through the flow accelerations at the top of the core the same periodicity should arise in the geomagnetic secular acceleration. We use the secular acceleration of the CHAOS-3 and CM4 geomagnetic field models to recover frequency spectra through both a traditional Fourier analysis and an empirical mode decomposition. We identify the 6 year periodic signal in the geomagnetic secular acceleration and characterize its spatial behavior. This signal seems to be closely related to recent geomagnetic jerks. We also identify a 2.5 year periodic signal in CHAOS-3 with unknown origin. This signal is strictly axially dipolar and is absent from other magnetic or geodetic time series.

Acta Astronautica, 2017

Four geomagnetic field models are discussed: IGRF, inclined, direct and simplified dipoles. Geomagnetic induction vector expressions are provided in different reference frames. Induction vector behavior is compared for different models. Models applicability for the analysis of satellite motion is studied from theoretical and engineering perspectives. Relevant satellite dynamics analysis cases using analytical and numerical techniques are provided. These cases demonstrate the benefit of a certain model for a specific dynamics study. Recommendations for models usage are summarized in the end.