Magnetohydrodynamic waves in the erath's liquid core

Summary The possibility of generation of magnetohydrodynamic waves in a rotating spherical system under the efect of small disturbances of the medium velocity is investigated. The initial stationary state of the system has been chosen with a view to known geophysical facts, and the effect of the solid inner core is considered. It is proved that two types of waves with distinctly different frequencies can be generated in the liquid region. The behaviour of longperiod magnetic waves is also studied in detail, and it is proved that the direction in which they propagate at a certain point depends on the position of this point in the meridional plane and on the configuration of the initial magnetic field. The phase velocities of the longperiod magnetic waves, propagating towards the west, have been computed within a selected network of points and the region in which they are generated has been defined. It is proved that the phase velocities of these waves are compatible with the observed velocity of the westward drift of the geomagnetic dipole.