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Geomagnetic Jerks: Rapid Core Field Variations and Core Dynamics

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Abstract

The secular variation of the core field is generally characterized by smooth variations, sometimes interrupted by abrupt changes, named geomagnetic jerks. The origin of these events, observed and investigated for over three decades, is still not fully understood. Many fundamental features of geomagnetic jerks have been the subject of debate, including their origin internal or external to the Earth, their occurrence dates, their duration and their global or regional character. Specific tools have been developed to detect them in geomagnetic field or secular variation time series. Recently, their investigation has been advanced by the availability of a decade of high-quality satellite measurements. Moreover, advances in the modelling of the core field and its variations have brought new perspectives on the fluid motion at the top of the core, and opened new avenues in our search for the origin of geomagnetic jerks. Correlations have been proposed between geomagnetic jerks and some other geophysical observables, indicating the substantial interest in this topic in our scientific community. This paper summarizes the recent advances in our understanding and interpretation of geomagnetic jerks.

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  1. Mioara Mandea

    Present address: Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université Paris Diderot, Case 7011, 5 rue Thomas Mann, 75205, Paris, France

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum, Telegrafenberg, 14473, Potsdam, Germany

    Mioara Mandea

  2. University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK

    Richard Holme

  3. CFC, Department of Physics, University of Coimbra, 3004-516, Coimbra, Portugal

    Alexandra Pais

  4. National Observatory, Rua General Jose Cristino, 77, Rio de Janeiro, 20921-400, Brazil

    Katia Pinheiro

  5. Institut für Geophysik, Sonneggstrasse 5, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland

    Andrew Jackson

  6. Faculty of Science, Geophysical Institute “Andrija Mohorovicic”, Horvatovac bb, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Giuliana Verbanac

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  1. Mioara Mandea
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Mandea, M., Holme, R., Pais, A. et al. Geomagnetic Jerks: Rapid Core Field Variations and Core Dynamics. Space Sci Rev 155, 147–175 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-010-9663-x

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