Introduction to Geomagnetic

Basic Concepts

Sohail Anwar
Geophysicist
GSP, GARL Islamabad
 GEOMAGNETISM
Magnetism-

Magnetic Minerals

Rock Magnetism

Geomagnetism
 MAGNET
• Lodestone

• Metaphysical properties

• Naturally occurring magnetite

• CHINESE-300 BC

• GREEK-800BC

• Hun Dynasty 200-300BC (Compass)

 Early Study in terrestrial magnetism
•500AD Tang Dynasty-Magnetic Declination

•1269 Petrus Pererinus-Pole of magnet

•1400 British navy-compass

•~1500 Start of navigational records

•1544 George Hartman-Inclination

•1576 Robert Norman-Inclination

•1600 Willium Gilbert -Electrostatic effect- de

Magnete
•1634 Henry Gellibrand-Magnetic Declination
changed with time

•1695 Edmund Halley D in Atlantic

•1702 1st declination chart

•1715 Feuille measures I in Atlantic and Pacific

•1777 James Cook’s voyages; solves longitude

problem

•1839 Gauss measures absolute intensity

•1840 Royal Navy exploration of Southern Oceans

• 1840 James Ross expedition to Antarctica

•1900 First magnetic surveys, first permanent
observatories

•1955 Proton magnetometer starts widespread

aero- and marine surveys

• 1966 First total intensity satellites (POGO)

• 1980 Magsat

•2001 Oersted, Champ, etc: decade of magnetic

 Physical Origin of Magnetism
•Coulomb-1784-
Inverse Square Law of charged particles and magnetic poles

•Alessandro Volta-1800
Voltaic cell

•Oersted- (1777-1851)
Electrical current produce magnetic force.

•Baptiste Biot & Felix Savart

Magnetic force b/w parallel current carrying conductor.

•Ampere- (1775-1836)
Magnetic force in loop of wire & idea of permanent magnetism.
•Faraday (1791-1867)
Idea of magneto electric induction

•Heinrich Lenz (1804-1865)

Lenz Law and concept of magnetic field

•Gauss (1777-1855) and Weber (1804-1891)

Absolute magnetism and dipolar nature of earth

•Maxwell 1873
Electromagnetic phenomena

•Heinrich Lorentz (1853-1928)

Deflection of electrical charges in vacuum beam by a
magnetic field
 Magnetism
Magnetic Flux

The region around a magnetic object in which its magnetic

forces act on other magnetic objects.
Magnetic field about a simple bar magnet:

North pole attracts the south poles of magnetic objects within the
field.

South pole attracts the north pole of magnetic objects within the
field.
Magnetic field orientation:

Parallel to the magnetic axis

at the midpoint of the
magnet.

Curves strongly towards the

poles.
Magnetic field
strength:

Strongest at the poles.

Weakest at the midpoint.

 Coulomb (magnetic) force
According to the Coulomb law, the magnetic force, Fm, acting
between two magnetic monopoles is given by:
1 p1 p2
Fm  ,
 r 2

where:

•µ is a constant of proportionality known as the


magnetic permeability (4 * 10-7 Henry/meter)

• p1 and p2 are the charges of the two magnetic

monopoles.

• r is the distance between the two poles.

 The Coulomb (magnetic) force: the units

The units in SI are:

• Fm is in Newtons [N].

• r is in meters [m].

• p1 and p2 are in Ampere times meter [Amp m].

In other words, if the force is equal 1 Newton and the

two magnetic poles are separated by 1 meter, the poles
charge is equal to 1 Ampere meter.
The Coulomb (magnetic) force: related notes

•the 1/r2 dependence.

•Unlike the gravitational constant, the magnetic

permeability, is a material property.

• p1 and p2 can be either of a positive or a negative

sign. If p1 and p2 are of the same sign, the Coulomb
force is repulsive, otherwise it is attractive.
 Basic Concept

Magnetic Force

Unit. Newton

Magnetic Field

Unit. Tesla (T) –

wb/m-2
Magnetic Potential

ampere (A)

Magnetic Flux
ampere/metre (A m-1)

Ampere Law
Magnetic Induction/Magnetic Field

Magnetic Moment

ampere/metre (A m2)

Current carrying coil

• Induced magnetization or Magnetic
polarization

k is Magnetic susceptibility
ampere/metre (A m-1)
• Magnetic field due to placing an
element in the field
 Magnetism
1. Diamagnetic
2. Paramagnetic
3. Ferromagnetic

Diamagnetic
• susceptibility (10-6) is low and negative, reversible and
independent of T.
• electron shells are full and no unpaired electrons exist
• magnetization develops in the opposite direction to the
applied field.
• quartz and calcite
 Paramagnetic
• Susceptibilities low & positive.
• the electron shells are not paired
• susceptibility k varies inversely with
temperature
• 10-5 to 10-4.
• chlorite, amphibole, pyroxene, olivine.
 Ferromagnetic
• dipoles are parallel, giving rise to a very
strong spontaneous magnetization which
can exist even in the absence of an external
magnetic field.
• very high susceptibility.
• iron, cobalt and nickel.
Antiferromagnetic
dipole coupling is anti parallel.
parasitic ferromagnetism
haematite
 Ferrimagnetic
• dipole coupling is similarly anti parallel, but
the strength of dipoles in each direction are
unequal.
• materials can exhibit a strong spontaneous
magnetization and a high susceptibility
• magnetite
 ROCK MAGNETISM

• Rock heterogeneous assemblage of

minerals.
• silicates or carbonates (diamagnetic)
• such as the clay minerals (paramagnetic)
• Ferrimagnetic result in a wide range of
susceptibilities in rocks.
• Factor influencing Rock magnetism
1. Ferrimagnetic mineral
2. Grain size
3. Remanent magnetization
 Magnetic minerals
• iron–titanium oxide mineral
• Magnetite
(Ms= 4.8 * 105 Am-1)
Curie Temp = 578 °C
• Maghemite (γ-Fe2O3)
(Ms= 4.5 * 105 Am-1)
Convert to (α-Fe2O3)
300–350 °C
• oceanic basalts
• Hematite
(Ms= 2.2 * 105 Am-1)
Curie Temp = 675 °C
Earth’s Magnetic Field
Generated by the convective motion the fluid outer core about the solid inner core.

Geodynamo: the conversion,

within the Earth, of mechanical energy
(convection of metals) to electrical
energy which produces the magnetic
field.

A magnetic field produced by such

fluid motion is inherently unstable
and not as uniform as about a
simple bar magnet.
Magnetic dipole,
analogous to an
electric dipole GEOMAGNETISM
According to Ampere’s Law, magnetic fields are produced by electric currents:

Earth's magnetic field is generated by movements of a conducting "liquid" core,

much in the same fashion as a solenoid. The term "dynamo" or “Geodynamo” is
used to refer to this process, whereby mechanical motions of the core materials are
electrical currents that give rise to magnetic fields.
The core motions are induced and controlled by convection and rotation
(Coriolis force). However, the relative importance of the various
possible driving forces for the convection remains unknown:

• heating by decay of radioactive elements

• latent heat release as the core solidifies

• loss of gravitational energy as metals solidify and

migrate inward and lighter materials migrate to outer
reaches of the liquid core.
GEOMAGNETIC FIELD ELEMENT
Magnetic anomalies caused by rocks are localized
effects superimposed on the normal magnetic field of
the Earth.

•Inclination (I)

•Declination (D)

•25 000 nT in equatorial

•70 000 nT at the poles

•Earth inclined at about

11.5° to the axis of rotation
• Declination: The angle between north and the horizontal
projection of the magnetic vector. This value is measured positive
through east and varies from 0 to 360 degrees.

• Inclination: The angle between the surface of the earth and the
magnetic vector. Positive declinations indicate the vector points
downward, negative declinations indicate it points upward.
Declination varies between -90 and 90 degrees.
Geomagnetic elements Lat.: 33.000N Long.: 71.000E Altitude:
1.000km Year:2016 (Prediction) (IGRF)

Declination (D): Inclination

Total Intensity (F): 49565.4 nT
2.488o (I): 51.272o

Downward
Eastward (Y):
Northward (X): 30979.8 nT (Z): 38667.4
1345.9 nT
nT

Horizontal (H): 31009.0 nT

http://wdc.kugi.kyoto-u.ac.jp/cgi-bin/point-cgi
 The magnetic field of external origin
• Solar Wind= Plasma= 1 AU=450 km s-1
• 7 ions per cm3
• Magnetosphere
• Bow-shocks
• Magneto sheath=interplanetary magnetic
field
• Magneto tail
• Magneto pause The transition between the
deformed magnetic field and the magneto
sheath
The “magnetosphere” shields the Earth from high
energy particles from the Sun.
 Van Allen radiation belts
• Charged particles that penetrate the
magnetopause are trapped by the geomagnetic
field lines and form the Van Allen radiation belts.

• Inner belt-1000 km above the Earth’s surface

altitude of about 3000 km

• Outer Belt
20,000–30,000 km from the center of the Earth
 The ionosphere
• 50 km and 1500 km ionizations of region above earth
surface.