Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Geodynamo

A matter of boundaries

  • News & Views
  • Published:

From Nature Geoscience

View current issue Submit your manuscript

The use of more realistic parameters in numerical geodynamo simulations tends to generate less Earth-like magnetic fields. This paradox could be resolved by considering uniform heat flux instead of uniform temperature at the core's surface.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1: The radial component of the Earth's magnetic field at the core–mantle boundary11 reveals a strong dipole component.

References

  1. Glatzmaier, G. A. & Roberts, P. H. Nature 377, 203–209 (1995).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Kageyama, A. et al. Phys. Plasmas 2, 1421–1431 (1995).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Takahashi, F., Matsushima, M. & Honkura, Y. Science 309, 459–461 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Christensen, U. R., Olson, P. & Glatzmaier, G. A. Geophys. Res. Lett. 25, 1565–1568 (1998).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Takahashi, F., Matsushima, M. & Honkura, Y. Phys. Earth Planet. Inter. 167, 168–178 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Sakuraba, A. & Roberts, P. H. Nature Geosci. 2, 802–805 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Bloxham, J. & Jackson, A. Geophys. Res. Lett. 17, 1997–2000 (1990).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Zhang, K. J. Fluid Dyn. 236, 535–556 (1992).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Olson, P. & Christensen, U. R. Geophys. J. Int. 151, 809–823 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Hewitt, J. M., McKenzie, D. P. & Weiss, N. O. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 51, 370–380 (1980).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Jackson, A., Constable, C. & Gillet, N. Geophys. J. Int. 171, 995–1004 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bruce Buffett is in the Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, 383 McCone Hall, Berkeley, California 94720-4767, USA. bbuffett@berkeley.edu,

    Bruce Buffett

Authors
  1. Bruce Buffett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Buffett, B. A matter of boundaries. Nature Geosci 2, 741–742 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo673

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo673

  • Springer Nature Limited

Search

Navigation