地球非偶极磁场对虚地磁极计算的影响

古地磁学使用的虚地磁极（VGP）是在地心偶极磁场假设下计算的,由于地球非偶极磁场的存在，VGP一般不同于真地磁极（RGP）.为了定量检验非偶极磁场对VGP的影响，本文利用国际参考地磁场模型IGRF 1900～2000，在全球5°×5°的“虚拟测点”网格上计算了VGP和RGP的位置，并求出两种磁极的经纬度偏差和二者的角距离.结果表明，南极地区VGP与GP的角距离最大，可达26°，南大西洋和欧亚大陆北部最大达到24°和18°，其余地区一般小于15°.VGP对RGP的偏差与地磁场分布有关：在非偶极磁场较弱的地区（如太平洋半球），纬度偏差一般不大（≤10°），但是在主要地磁异常区（如南大西洋和南极地区），VGP对RGP的纬度偏差可达25°.VGP对RGP的经度偏差要比纬度偏差大得多，例如在欧亚大陆北部地区，经度偏差分布在-180°到180°的大范围内.     

Geomagnetic Field Variations as Determined from Bulgarian Archaeomagnetic Data. Part II: The Last 8000 Years

The knowledge about past secular variations of the geomagnetic field is achieved on the basis of archaeomagnetic researches of which the Bulgarian studies form an extended data set. In Part I (Kovacheva and Toshkov, 1994), the methodology used in the Sofia palaeomagnetic laboratory was described and the secular variation curves for the last 2000 years were shown. In Part II (this paper), the basic characteristics of the prehistoric materials used in the archaeomagnetic studies are emphasised, particularly in the context of the rock magnetic studies used in connection with palaeointensity determinations. The results of magnetic anisotropy studies of the prehistoric ovens and other fired structures are summarised, including the anisotropy correction of the palaeointensity results for prehistoric materials, different from bricks and pottery. Curves of the direction and intensity of the geomagnetic field during the last 8000 years in Bulgaria are given. The available directional and intensity values have been used to calculate the variation curve of the virtual dipole moment (VDM) for the last 8000 years based on different time interval averages. The path of virtual geomagnetic pole (VGP) positions is discussed.     

新石器时代姜寨遗址的考古地磁研究

通过测量姜寨遗址窑灶烧土标本的剩余磁化方向,确定了公元前四千年左右该遗址所在临潼地区的地磁场方向（倾角和偏角）,采用逐步热退磁法,求出了当时、当地的地球磁场总强度值。由此,按照中心偶极模式算得了当时该地区所在的地磁纬度,以及该时期的虚地磁极位置和地球的虚偶极矩。     

On the variation in the geomagnetic dipole over the geological history of the Earth

The global database on the paleointensity, containing determinations of the virtual dipole moment (VDM) for a stable (normal) regime of the geomagnetic field in a time interval of up to 3.5 Ga, is supplemented by new VDM determinations and analyzed. The field generation process started no later than 3–3.5 Ga (earlier data are absent) at the stage of the Earth’s core formation. Since that time, the dipole value has differed from its present value by no more than an order of magnitude, and the deviations that have already been detected tend toward smaller values. The distribution of VDM values in the time interval 0–400 Ma is bimodal, which apparently reflects the presence of two different generation levels of the geomagnetic field distinguished by a relatively large value (close to the present field value) and a relatively small value (approximately half as large as the present value). The total duration of decreased VDM values appreciably exceeds that of increased VDM values (179.1 and 28.6 Myr, respectively). On the whole, data on the paleointensity do not contradict the hypothesis about the dipole nature of the field over the last 400 Myr; however, the number of determinations at high paleolatitudes is too small to draw decisive conclusions on the validity (or invalidity) of the dipole field approximation based solely on paleointensity data.     

Paleointensity and paleodirection of the geomagnetic field in the middle Miocene: Evidence from late cenozoic volcanites of primorye

We present the results of analyzing a representative collection of the middle Miocene 12.4–10.0 Ma basalts that compose the volcanic cover of the Shufan and Sovgavan plateaus, namely the Nikolo-L’vovsk (NL) and Sovetskaya Gavan (SG) volcanic fields. Preliminary data are obtained about the relicts of some volcanic edifices within the West and East Sikhote-Alin volcanic belts, namely the Shishlovskii, Malyshevo, and Truzhenik objects. It is established that the volcanic rocks from these localities are characterized by similar petrologic and magnetic properties. Thermal cleaning of the samples is carried out, and the coordinates of the paleomagnetic pole are determined as Λ = 190.2°E, Φ = 71.3°N for basalts of the Nokolo-L’vovsk area and Λ = 180.4°E, Φ = 71.9°N for rocks from the Sovgavan locality. These values are consistent with the data for coeval volcanics from other regions of Eurasia. Reliable determinations of the paleointensity H _pal for a representative collection of samples were obtained using the Thellier method. The corresponding values of the virtual dipole moment (VDM) are almost half its present-day value. The analysis of the Miocene VDM values available from the world database revealed a low average field 5.06 × 10²² Am² characterized by high variance σ = 2.13 × 10²² Am² at that time. The similarity of VDM values for the Miocene characterized by frequent inversions and for the Cretaceous Superchron supports the hypothesis of the lack of a correlation between the VDM values and the frequency of geomagnetic inversions.     

On the intensity of the geomagnetic field in the geological past

A detailed analysis of the data on the intensity of the geomagnetic dipole and frequency of its reversals presented in the world’s paleointensity databases provided the arguments in favor of the hypothesis of the negative correlation between the average virtual dipole moment (VDM) and the frequency of the reversals on the interval from 5 Ma to 100 Ma ago. However, the statistical confidence level of this hypothesis is only 60–70%, which is far below 95%, the standard required confidence level of a hypothesis to be considered statistically reliable. At a high level of confidence (above 99%), the presence of a positive correlation between the mean value and variance of VDM for a number of intervals of stable polarity in the Cenozoic and Mesozoic is confirmed. This finding means that the distribution of VDM on these time intervals is certainly non-Gaussian and is rather described by the gamma- or lognormal law. At the same time, in contrast to the earlier intervals, the histogram of VDM for the Brunhes epoch is closer to the normal distribution. Compared our conclusions with the published results on the numerical modeling of the geodynamo, we found that they are consistent in terms of a probable negative correlation between the average VDM and reversal frequency, as well as the lack of correlation between the average VDM and the length of the interval of stable polarity.     

Paleointensity of the geomagnetic field in the Cretaceous (from Cretaceous rocks of Mongolia)

A representative collection of Cretaceous rocks of Mongolia is used for the study of the magnetic properties of the rocks and for determination of the paleodirections and paleointensities H _anc of the geomagnetic field. The characteristic NRM component in the samples is recognized in the temperature interval from 200 to 620–660°C. The values of H _anc are determined by the Thellier-Coe method with observance of all present-day requirements regarding the reliability of such kind of results. Comparison of data in the literature on paleointensity in the Cretaceous superchron and in the Miocene supports the hypothesis of the inverse correlation between the average intensity of the paleofield and the frequency of geomagnetic reversals. The increase in the average intensities is accompanied by an appreciable increase in the variance of the virtual dipole moment (VDM). We suggest that the visible increase in the average VDM value in the superchron is due to the greater variability of VDM in this period compared to the Miocene.     

Geomagnetic field paleointensity in the cretaceous from Upper Cretaceous rocks of Georgia

A representative collection of Upper Cretaceous rocks of Georgia (530 samples from 24 sites) is used for the study of magnetic properties of the rocks and the determination of the paleodirection and paleointensity (H _an) of the geomagnetic field. Titanomagnetites with Curie points of 200–350°C are shown to be carriers of natural remanent magnetization (NRM) preserving primary paleomagnetic information during heatings to 300–350°C. The characteristic NRM component of the samples is identified in the interval 120–350°C. The Thellier and Thellier-Coe methods are used for the determination of H _an meeting modern requirements on the reliability of such results. New paleointensity determinations are obtained and virtual dipole magnetic moment (VDM) values are calculated for four sites whose stratigraphic age is the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Campanian). It is shown that, in the interval 99.6–70.6 Ma, the VDM value was two or more times smaller than the present value, which agrees with the majority of H _an data available for this time period. According to our results, the H _an value did not change at the boundary of the Cretaceous normal superchron.     

New Cretaceous palaeointensity data and the constraints on geodynamics

A combined geochronologic (K-Ar) and palaeomagnetic study has been conducted on a basalt lava sequence at Yixian Formation in Liaoning Province, northeastern China. The new K-Ar age obtained from thirteen lava flows is 120.93±0.88 Ma. Detailed rock-magnetic investigations were conducted on each lava flow to determine their remanence carriers. The modified version of the Thellier-Thellier palaeointensity method with systematic partial thermoremanent magnetization (pTRM) checks was used for the palaeointensity determination. Virtual dipole moment (VDM) value is (3.66±0.10)x10²² Am². This low dipole-field intensity value is approximately forty-five percent of the today field VDM. Combined with all of the other published palaeointensity data, possible links between the earth’s interior process and its control on the variation of the earth’s magnetic field during the geological time were tentatively discussed.     

Paleosecular variation and absolute geomagnetic paleointensity records retrieved from the Early Cretaceous Posadas Formation (Misiones,Argentina)

The Early Cretaceous may be considered a key period for understanding the evolution of the Earth’s magnetic field. Some still unsolved problems are related to the mode of paleosecular variation (PSV) of the Earth’s magnetic field before and during the Cretaceous Normal Superchron. We report here a detailed rock-magnetic, paleomagnetic and paleointensity investigation from 28 lava flows (331 standard paleomagnetic cores) collected in the Argentinean part of the Parana Flood Basalts (Formation Posadas) in order to contribute to the study of PSV during the early Cretaceous and to obtain precise Cretaceous paleomagnetic pole positions for stable South America. The average paleofield direction is precisely determined from 26 sites, which show small within-site dispersion and high directional stability. Five sites show evidences for the self-reversal of thermoremanent magnetization. 23 sites yielded normal polarity magnetization and only 3 are reversely magnetized. Moving windows averages were used to analyze the sequential variation of virtual geomagnetic pole’s (VGP) axial positions. Interestingly, the axial average VGP path traces an almost complete cycle around the geographical pole and passes near the location of all previously published Paraná Magmatic Province poles. Both paleomagnetic poles and average VGP paths are significantly different from the pole position suggested by fixed hotspot reconstructions, which may be due to true polar wander or the hotspot motion itself. Only 15 samples from 5 individual basaltic lava flows, yielded acceptable paleointensity estimates. The site mean paleointensities range from 25.2 ± 2.2 to 44.0 ± 2.2 μT. The virtual dipole moments (VDMs) range from 4.8 to 9.9 × 10²² Am². This correspond to a mean value of 7.7 ± 2.1 × 10²² Am² which is 96% of the present day geomagnetic field strength. These intensities agree with the relatively high values already reported for Early Cretaceous, which are consistent with some inferences from computer simulations previously published.     

Solar–terrestrial effects possibly stronger in biblical times

Paleomagnetic studies have shown that, moving backwards in time, the geomagnetic dipole moment increased to a peak nearly 50% greater than at present ca. 2500 years ago. Attempts to model how changes in dipole moment affect solar–terrestrial relations have hitherto invoked a scaling relation for the size of the magnetosphere based on finding where the magnetic pressure of the dipole field balances the ram pressure of the solar wind. This approach predicts that, following a solar storm, the strength of the terrestrial response represented by the electrical potential across the auroral zones in the ionosphere should vary as the 1/3 power of dipole moment. Such a weak dependence suggests that a 50% increase in dipole moment would minimally effect (14%) terrestrial manifestations of solar storms. Recent work, however, based on a feedback mechanism involving electrical currents coupling the magnetosphere and ionosphere has identified a stronger 4/3, power scaling relation applicable to storm conditions. Here we use a global MHD simulation to calculate for a 50% increased dipole moment the correspondingly increased auroral-zone potential and its extension to low latitudes.     

Transitional field clusters from uppermost Oligocene volcanic rocks in the central Walker Lane, western Nevada

Three sections of the Candelaria Hills volcanic sequence, west-central Nevada, appear to have recorded parts of two transitional field records or reversal excursions. Paleomagnetic data and / laser fusion sanidine age estimates for pyroclastic rocks and associated flows show that these rocks recorded the unusual field behavior at about 25.7 Ma and about 23.8 Ma. Fifteen sites yield northeast declination, moderate to shallow negative inclination mean directions and 16 sites yield west to southwest declination, moderate negative inclination directions. Both populations of site mean directions, representing a total of 12 independent eruptive units, are highly discordant to a time-averaged late Tertiary field direction, and neither can be explained by a geologically reasonable magnitude of vertical axis rotation. Virtual paleomagnetic poles (VGPs), estimated from the directional data, lie at low to intermediate latitudes; 29 of the 31 flows at intermediate latitudes (<60°), and 11 at very low latitudes (<30°). Two well-grouped VGP clusters are defined by these data with each cluster roughly corresponding to one of the age groups. Stratigraphically corrected VGPs from most of the 23.8 Ma group roughly cluster at intermediate to low latitudes at about 150°E longitude. The cluster at about 150°E corresponds to VGP clusters that have been interpreted to reflect a long lasting near-dipole configuration during several field reversals. The second stratigraphically corrected cluster lies at intermediate to low latitudes at about 80°E longitude and, notably, is defined by pyroclastic flows of the 25.7 and 23.8 Ma age groups. The VGP data at about 80°E do not fall into any previously identified preferred longitudinal band, however, they are consistent with data from some sedimentary records of reversal excursions in western North America. We recognize that the VGPs returned to a preferred location in both age populations, which we interpret as a preferred directional position, thus reflecting a potentially stable non-dipole component during a complete reversal or a reversal excursion. The observation that the VGPs maintained a preferred location during separate high amplitude events supports the hypothesis that preferred VPG clusters and thus persistent non-dipole field components can factor into the behavior of the geomagnetic field during full reversals or reversal excursions.     

Comparison of the Brunhes epoch geomagnetic secular variation recorded in the volcanic and sedimentary rocks

The results of numerical modeling of the geomagnetic secular variation by the method of the Giant Gaussian Process (GGP) are presented and compared with the information derived from the presentday databases for paleointensity. The variances of the positions of the virtual geomagnetic pole (VGP) calculated from the synthetic and experimental data (Brunhes epoch, effusive rocks) are nearly similar, which supports the validity of the theoretical model. The average value of the virtual axial geomagnetic dipole (VADM) calculated from the PINT world database on paleointensity and the Sint-2000 model is lower than VADM calculated by the GGP model; at the same time, the estimates based on the archaeomagnetic data give the VADM value slightly above the model prediction. The largest difference is observed in the variances of VADM, which is for all the three databases noticeably higher than the value calculated from the GGP model. Most probably, this is due to the contribution of the neglected measurement errors of VADM.     

Trans-polar vgp shifts and earth's rotation

Abstract

At about 13,200 BP and 1000 BP, the geomagnetic field experienced trans-polar VGP shifts between main centra in Arctic Siberia and Arctic Canada, respectively. Both shifts are associated with major changes in the Earth's rate of rotation indicating a causal connection. The 1000 BP VGP shift and change in rotation is also associated with a decrease in the geomagnetic dipole field strength. The trans-polar VGP shifts seem to be of dipolar nature. They seem to be consistent with the displacement of the symmetry axis of two rotating bodies.     

Determination of the paleointensity in the early proterozoic from granitoids of the Shumikhinskii complex of the Siberian craton

The extreme scarcity of data on the behavior of the paleointensity H _an in the geological past from rocks older than 400 Ma significantly hinders the development of our ideas of the geomagnetic field evolution and the geological history of the Earth as a planet. This work presents H _an determinations for the Early Proterozoic using the Thellier method and meeting modern requirements for their reliability. The data are obtained from 1850-Ma rocks of granite intrusions sampled in the south of the Siberian platform. The rocks are virtually unaltered granites and granitoids. The paleointensity was determined on 15 samples; results from 11 samples were found to be suitable for the calculation of H _an, which is good for experiments of this type. The common feature in the behavior of the natural remanent magnetization (NRM) is a very narrow interval of blocking temperatures: destruction of (60–90)% NRM often took place between 500 and 550°C. Because of the large thickness of the sampled magmatic body, the paleointensity estimates were corrected for its slow cooling rate. With regard for this correction, the probable value of the virtual dipole moment (VDM) from the given collection amounts to 5 × 10²² A m². Analysis of all published data obtained by the Thellier method for the Precambrian and satisfying the well-known minimal criteria of reliability showed that the average VDM value is about 2 × 10²² A m², which is four times smaller than the VDM value of the last million years. This phenomenon can be interpreted in terms of the hypothesis that the solid inner core formed only in Proterozoic and, in its absence, the generation of the geomagnetic field was relatively weak, which yielded a small intensity value of the geomagnetic field at early stages of the Earth’s evolution.     

地磁场长期变化的自洽正态统计模型

从地磁场时间变化尺度可分的理论考虑和观测事实出发，建立地磁场Reynolds分解，强调地磁场时均部分和长期变化部分均包含所有的多极子分量；重新解释Constabe和Paker关于规一化Gduss系数的统计结果，从而将地磁场长期变化自洽正态模型自洽化．在这一结构最简单的统计模型中，地磁角度要素和总强度的统计分布均为非正态．地磁场方向及其等价表示虚偶极磁矩方向服从广义Fisher分布，可以解释地磁场方向和虚磁偶极矩方向的椭圆分布长轴大致正交的观测事实．模型的VGP角散布不能解释古地磁观测，意味着时均场中显著存在非轴向偶极子分量．解析结果加强了Egbert关于VGP路径优势经度为不均匀采样所致的推论．     

Rock-magnetic and paleomagnetic results from the Tepic-Zacoalco rift region (western Mexico)

A rock-magnetic and paleomagnetic investigation was carried out on eleven Pleistocene and Pliocene ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dated lava flows from the Tepic-Zacoalco rift region in the western sector of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB) with the aim of obtaining new paleomagnetic data from the study region and information about the Earth’s magnetic field recorded in these rocks. Rock-magnetic experiments including measurement of thermomagnetic curves, hysteresis parameters and isothermal remanence acquisition curves were carried out to find out the carriers of remanent magnetisation and to determine their domain structure. Although some samples were characterised by the presence of a single ferromagnetic phase (magnetite), in most cases more phases were observed. Analysis of hysteresis parameters showed a mixture of single domain and multidomain particles, the fraction of the latter varying between 40% and 80%. Paleomagnetic results were obtained in all sites, although in 7 sites characteristic remanence directions and remagnetisation circles had to be combined in order to calculate site means. The six Pliocene sites not showing intermediate polarity yielded a paleomagnetic pole (latitude ? = 81.1°, longitude λ = 94.3°) which roughly agrees with the expected one. Paleomagnetic directions do not indicate significant vertical-axis block rotations in the western TMVB area. Reversed polarities observed can be correlated to the Gilbert chron, normal polarities to the Gauss chron or the Brunhes chron and intermediate polarities to the Cochiti-Gilbert or the Gilbert-Gauss transition. The reversed or intermediate polarity magnetisation recorded in one of the sites (542 ± 24 ka) corresponds either to the West Eifel 4 or the West Eifel 5 excursion, while the reversed polarity observed in the other site (220 ± 36 ka) very likely provides new evidence for the Pringle Falls excursion or the event recorded in the Mamaku ignimbrite.     

近六千年间的磁极移动曲线

本文采用陕西、湖北、浙江、江西及北京地区的烧土标本测得十七个不同时代的地磁倾角与偏角数据,按照地球磁场的中心偶极模式推算了各相应时代的虚地磁极（Virtual Geomaffnetic Pole）的地理座标,得到了六千余年间VGP的移动曲线.对此曲线的一些特征进行的初步探讨表明,在近数千年间,磁极运动的方向无固定的趋势,运动的速度亦不均匀,而运动的轨迹迂迥曲折,其平均位置与地理极不重合.     

A theoretical analysis of the observed variability of the geomagnetic dipole field

We present a detailed analysis of the Sint-800 virtual axial dipole moment (VADM) data in terms of an Ω mean field model of the geodynamo that features a non-steady generation of poloidal from toroidal magnetic field. The result is a variable excitation of the dipole mode and the overtones, and there are occasional dipole reversals. The model permits a theoretical evaluation of the statistical properties of the dipole mode. We show that the model correctly predicts the distribution of the VADM and the autocorrelation function inferred from the Sint-800 data. The autocorrelation technique allows us to determine the turbulent diffusion time τ_d=R²/β of the geodynamo. We find that τ_d is about 10–15 kyr. The model is able to reproduce the observed secular variation of the dipole mode, and the mean time between successive dipole reversals. On the other hand, the duration of a reversal is a factor 2 too long. This could be due to imperfections in the model or to unknown systematics in the Sint-800 data. The use of mean field theory is shown to be selfconsistent.     

New palaeointensity results from Cretaceous basalt of Inner Mongolia, China

We present new Thellier-Thellier palaeointensity results from three cooling units (32 samples) of Inner Mongolia lava flows (91.7 Ma) emplaced during the Cretaceous Normal Superchron (CNS). Based on rock-magnetic and microscopy observations the magneto-mineralogy of all samples is determined to be primary and unaltered high-Ti titanomagnetite. Accepted palaeointensity determinations, obtained in the 80-200 °C temperature interval, are of good technical quality with positive standard partial thermoremanent magnetisation (pTRM) checks and pTRM-tail checks. Obtained palaeointensity estimates range from 14.7 to 28.0 μT, with virtual axial dipole moments (VADM) of 2.4 to 4.6 (× 10²² Am²). The data agree well with recently published results from the same region and, combining the two datasets, we obtain independent estimates from six different cooling units yielding a time-averaged VADM of 3.2 ± 1.6 (× 10²² Am²). These data suggest a relatively low dipole moment towards the end of the Cretaceous Normal Superchron.