Earth's Core and the Geodynamo

2000/06/16 by B. A. Buffett · 3 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Earth and Planetary Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · #Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies #Geology and Paleoclimatology Research #Planetary Science and Exploration #Dynamo theory #Magnetic field #Geophysics #Dynamo #Dipole model of the Earth's magnetic field #Field (mathematics) #Outer core #Core (optical fiber) #Geology #Mercury's magnetic field #Dipole #Magnetic dipole #Physics #Geomagnetic reversal #Earth's magnetic field #L-shell #Inner core #Interplanetary magnetic field

paper · doi:10.1126/science.288.5473.2007

openalex publication_date 2000/06/16 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23

Abstract

Earth's magnetic field is generated by fluid motion in the liquid iron core. Details of how this occurs are now emerging from numerical simulations that achieve a self-sustaining magnetic field. Early results predict a dominant dipole field outside the core, and some models even reproduce magnetic reversals. The simulations also show how different patterns of flow can produce similar external fields. Efforts to distinguish between the various possibilities appeal to observations of the time-dependent behavior of the field. Important constraints will come from geological records of the magnetic field in the past.

Citations

• Composition and temperature of Earth's inner core
• The strength and efficiency of thermal and compositional convection in the geodynamo
• Magnetic Lineations in the Ancient Crust of Mars
• A three-dimensional convective dynamo solution with rotating and finitely conducting inner core and mantle

Cited by

• A MILLENNIUM OF GEOMAGNETISM
• Generation of a strong magnetic field using uniform heat flux at the surface of the core
• Earth's magnetic field [wikipedia]