Geomagnetic applications

Abstract

The geomagnetic field is one of the most intriguing aspects of the Earth and is also one of its earliest geophysical properties to be studied scientifically (Gilbert, 1600) yet its origin can still only be loosely ‘explained’ in terms of magnetohydrodynamic motions in the Earth’s outer core. An understanding of the origin and behaviour of the geomagnetic field is therefore crucial to any understanding of the core itself, the interaction between the core and mantle, and the origin of the Earth itself. Conversely, much of the information on the properties of the core and lower mantle is based on geomagnetic observations.