A study of two polar magnetic substorms with a two-dimensional magnetometer array

Summary. The paper reports studies of the three-dimensional magnetospheric—ionospheric current systems which produced polar magnetic substorms on 1974 September 7 and September 18. The data were magnetic perturbation fields observed with a two-dimensional array of 23 three-component magnetometers located in western Canada beneath the auroral oval. In an earlier study of a substorm of September 11 (Bannister & Gough) the fields fitted calculated field for a Boström Type 1 current loop with field-aligned currents at east and west ends of the ionospheric segment, and with uniform current density across the width. The substorms here reported could not be modelled with uniform current density. An inverse method due to Oldenburg was therefore used to estimate current density distributions, and satisfactory fits of calculated to observed field resulted. Each substorm was modelled at six representative epochs. In general the principal ionospheric current seem by the array was westward. At four epochs of the September 7 substorm and throughout the September 18 substorm, significant eastward ionospheric current (or its equivalent in terms of the fields produced) was observed north of the westward electrojet. Northwestward bends in the ionospheric current segments were found at four epochs on September 7 and at three epochs on September 18. As in the September 11 substorm (Paper 1), these bends were either west of or close to magnetic midnight. In some cases the bends may follow the auroral oval, but in others they are sharper and may be associated with the Harang discontinuity. East of geomagnetic the ionospheric currents tend to run in a constant geomagnetic midnight latitude range. The developments of the three substorms, of September 7, 11 (Paper 1) and 18, are compared. They showed a variety of shifts in longitude, though all moved eastward relative to magnetic midnight.     

A comprehensive model current system for high-latitude magnetic activity -II. The substorm component

Summary. In paper I of this series (Hughes & Rostoker) we have presented a composite model three-dimensional current system whose magnetic perturbation pattern is in good agreement with that observed at high latitudes during periods of moderate magnetospheric activity. In this paper we extend the model current system to demonstrate its ability to reproduce the magnetic perturbation pattern associated with the magnetospheric substorms. In agreement with previous workers, we find it necessary to include a region of intense equatorward current flow at the western edge of the westward travelling surge. For the particular substorm event presented in this paper, we find that the main eastward and westward electrojets intensified slightly before the appearance of the surge form, and we are able to evaluate quantitatively the amount of change involved.     

极光吸收的日变化与季变化

麦阔里岛和戴维斯站分别位于极光带中心和极光带极向边缘区内.这两处的极光吸收次数在晚间多些,其中突然性吸收主要出现在午夜(当地地磁时间)前,缓变性吸收在午夜后.极光吸收与太阳的活动性密切相关.太阳风高能粒子主要沉降在极光中心带磁午夜区,然后向东西与南北方向扩散,以向西的电射流为主,向东的为辅.但向西的弱些、速度慢些;向东的强些、速度快些.太阳活动增强后,尤其是强的X耀斑事件后,向西的电射流增多增强.另外,在较高磁纬地区的戴维斯站,冬季时极光吸收增多增强.但在极光中心区的麦阔里岛观测站,基本上无此种季节效应.这可能是由于冬季(对南半球而言)极光卵向南偏移造成的.     

A study on the multi-component substrom current

A new technique of eigen mode analysis, Method of Natural Orthogonal Components (MNOC) is used to analyze the ionospheric equivalent current systems obtained on the basis of magnetic data at six meridian magnetometer chains in the northern hemisphere during March 17 19, 1978. The results show that the whole current pattern for any given instant consists of a few eigen modes with different intensities. The first eigen mode exhibits a two cell current construction, characterizing the large scale magnetospheric convection and directly driven process, while the second eigen mode shows a concentrated westward electrojet at midnight sector, characterizing the substorm current wedge and the loading unloading process. The first mode consistently exists whenever during quiet periods or at substorms, and its intensity increases from the beginning of the growth phase of substorms, then quickly intensifies in the expansion phase, followed by a gradual decrease in the recovery phase. On the other hand, the intensity of the second mode remains to be near zero during both quiet time and the growth phase of substorms. Its rapid enhancement occurs in the expansion phase. These characteristics in the current patterns and the intensity variations coincide with the defined physical processes of the directly driven and loading unloading components.     

Geomagnetic variations recorded in Older (≫ 23 000 B.P.) and Younger Yoldia Clay (∼ 14 000 B.P.) at Nørre Lyngby, Denmark

Summary. Detailed palaeomagnetic results from a rapidly deposited 12.5-m Younger Yoldia Clay sequence of age around 14 000 B.P. at the coast cliff at Nørre Lyngby (northern Jutland, Denmark) and a 2-m Older Yoldia Clay sequence of age somewhere between 23 000 and 40 000 B.P. are presented and discussed. The Younger Yoldia Clay spans some 1000–1500 yr and shows swings in inclination and declination of about that period, and also more rapid oscillations which are particularly marked in inclination, showing that rapid secular variations as have occurred during historic times were indeed also present back in time. There exist easterly declinations of 80° to 90° in the upper half of the Younger Yoldia Clay which cause the virtual geomagnetic pole to migrate clockwise to around 50° away from the rotation pole. This we name the 'Nørre Lyngby declination excursion'.
In the Older Yoldia Clay, as well as secular variations in both declination and inclination, significant low inclination values are found, confirming the existence of the recently named 'Rubjerg low inclination excursion', with the virtual geomagnetic pole moving first in a clockwise then in an anticlockwise sense at 40° to 60° away from the rotation pole.
It is therefore inferred that models for the Earth's geomagnetic field should involve at least local rapid eastward as well as westward 'drift' of the non-dipole field components at various times in the past.     

CHARACTERISTICS OF Sq VARIATION OF GEOMAGNETIC FIELD AT THE GREAT WALL STATION, ANTARCTICA IN WINTER

In this paper the characteristics of Sq variation of geomagnetic field in the region of the Chinese Great Wall Station (CGWS), Antarctica, in winter are analyzed from geomagnetic data obtained at the Geomagnetic Observatory of CGWS. The result enables us to reveal the following aspects: (1) The pattern of Sq variation at CGWS in early (Apr.) and Late winter (Sep.) is similar to that at Beijing Geomagnetic Observatory (BJO) at the middle latitude in the Northern Hemisphere. It may be controlled by the midlatitudinal ionospheric dynamo current. Amplitude of Sq variation is very small, and the harmonics in 8 hours or shorter periods in midwinter (June and July) is predominant because of the decreased effect of solar ultraviolet radiation and the dominant geomagnetic disturbance at high latitudes. (2) The vectors of Sq-equivalent current in the daytime are about five times more than that in the night. The direction of the vectors is clockwise in the daytime (08-15h) and counterclockwise in the night in earl     

南极地区地磁扰日变化S_D场特征

利用南极地磁资料研究了地磁扰日变化ＳＤ场特征。１）ＳＤ场变化不如Ｓｑ场变化规则,无明显的昼夜差异;太阳活动高年（１９９１年）比下降年（１９９４年）ＳＤ场变化更强烈。２）极隙区中山站ＳＤ场变幅比亚极光区长城站和北半球低纬区北京台的ＳＤ场变幅大１０倍以上。３）中山站Ｓ０Ｄ（Ｈ）变化呈“正弦波”形态,与长城站和北京台Ｓ０Ｄ（Ｈ）变化形态相反。４）中山站Ｓ０Ｄ等效电流矢量在早晨－下午（０２～１５ｈ）矢量方向为反时针西向,下午－夜间（１５～０２ｈ）矢量方向为顺时针东向,这是由极区东向、西向电射流和极区电流涡旋所引起;长城站与北京台Ｓ０Ｄ等效电流矢量很小,这是由极区东向和西向电射流的影响所致。     

A comparative study on the ionospheric current systems in the Antarctic and Arctic regions

ＡｃｏｍｐａｒａｔｉｖｅｓｔｕｄｙｏｎｔｈｅｉｏｎｏｓｐｈｅｒｉｃｃｕｒｒｅｎｔｓｙｓｔｅｍｓｉｎｔｈｅＡｎｔａｒｃｔｉｃａｎｄＡｒｃｔｉｃｒｅｇｉｏｎｓＸｕＷｅｎｙａｏ（徐文耀）（ＩｎｓｔｉｔｕｔｅｏｆＧｅｏｐｈｙｓｉｃｓ，ＡｃａｄｅｍｉａＳｉｎｉ...     

Propagation and source of Pc5 frequency range pulsation at cusp latitude

Two induction magnetometers have been installed at Chinese Zhongshan Station and Australia Davis Station, Antarctica respectively. We adopt the cross spectral analysis technique to analyze the data of the two induction magnetometers, in June, September, December 1996 and March 1997, and to investigate Pc5 frequency range pulsation (150 600 s) occurrence and propagation in cusp latitude. The results are summarized as follows: At Zhongshan Davis Station, the magnetic pulsations in Pc5 frequency band can occurs over a wide time, but more frequently at pre local magnetic noon and pre local magnetic midnight. The Pc5 pulsations have no significant seasonal variation in the amplitude, occurrence and propagation. The amplitude has a small peak at pre local magnetic noon and large value sometimes at pre local magnetic midnight. In daytime, the Pc5 pulsations propagate westward in morning and eastward in afternoon, and reversal at local magnetic noon. In nighttime, the Pc5 pulsations propagate westward before 20:00 MLT and eastward after 20:00 MLT. Near dusk time, the Pc5 pulsations propagate irregularly. These characteristics indicate that the Pc5 pulsations have different source at different local magnetic time.     

南极长城站冬季地磁S_q变化特征

本文利用南极长城站1987年4月至9月的地磁资料,分析了长城站地区冬季地磁S_q变化特征。分析结果表明:(1)南极长城站在初冬(4月)与冬末(9月)月份的S_q变化形态与北半球中纬度的北京地磁台的S_q变化形态基本相似,这可能是由中纬度电离层中的发电机电流所控制的。在仲冬月份(6月与7月),由于太阳紫外辐射效应减少,高纬度的地磁扰动占主导地位,反映出S_q变幅很小和以8小时以下的较短周期谐波起主要作用,(2)在初冬与冬末月份的S_q等效电流矢量,白天比黑夜大约5倍;其矢量方向在白天(08—15时)为顺时针,黑夜为反时针。在仲冬月由于电离层中电流的影响相对减弱,S_q等效电流矢量很小,白天与黑夜基本一样;其矢量分布方向与初冬和冬末的矢量方向不同,这可能是极区的电离层电流或场向电流的影响造成的。     

Observations of coastal aeolian dune movements at Feicuidao, on the Changli Gold Coast in Hebei Province

High-precision RTK GPS technology was used to survey the movements of typical coastal dunes, including a coastal crescent dune and a coastal transverse ridge, in the Feicuidao region of the Changli Gold Coast in Hebei Province in 2006–2008. Our data provide information on the direction, type, and velocity of coastal dune movements, and indicate that the coastal dunes in this region are characterized as slow and landward advancing, with to-and-fro fluctuations. The bottom of the studied coastal transverse ridge was stable during the observation period but the position of its crest advanced eastward (seaward) during summer and autumn, and moved landward (westward) in winter and spring. Thus, its crest moved generally landward (westward) but fluctuated to-and-fro eastward and westward. In contrast, the entire coastal crescent dune advanced landward (westward) in a to-and-fro manner, and the velocity of its movement was faster than that of the transverse ridge dune. These results are mainly related to the wind conditions in the research area, the height and volume of the two types of coastal dunes.     

An investigation of the causes of abnormal quiet days in Sq (H)

Summary. From a study of 'abnormal quiet days' (AQDs) along the 0° meridian between 14 and 60° N, it was found (Butcher & Brown) that the minimum in H at stations on the poleward side of the Sq ( H ) focus was formed by a small negative substorm event when the normal Sq ( H ) amplitude was reduced by a superposed northward field.
In this paper we consider both the AQD event and the superposed northward field as a function of longitude and also consider in more detail the latitude variation of the superposed northward field. From such a study it is concluded that: (1) the AQD event is definitely due to a small magnetospheric substorm event; (2) the superposed northward field varies smoothly with longitude falling to zero some 110° from the longitude of its maximum amplitude; (3) the superposed northward field has a variation with geomagnetic latitude tending to zero near 20° and 70°N with a maximum near 55° N in summer and 35° N in winter; (4) there is some evidence that the effect of the IMF penetrates into the mid-latitude E-region and its effect is latitude-dependent. Although the evidence supports the suggestion that the currents responsible for the superposed northward field flow in the E-region no suggestion as to the origin of the driving force of the currents is forthcoming.     

Phase variability of Sq (H) on normal quiet days in the equatorial electrojet region

Summary. From a study of 'abnormal quiet days' (AQDs) at equatorial latitudes it was found earlier (Sastri) that the occurrence of an abnormal Sq ( H ) phase confined to the equatorial electrojet belt is closely associated with the incidence of complete or partial counter-electrojet (CEJ) conditions (marked daytime depressions in the H field in the electrojet region) for about 5 hr around the normal time interval of the diurnal maximum of the H field. In this paper, we investigate the causative mechanism of the Sq ( H ) phase variability on 'normal quiet days' (NQDs), defined as days on which the diurnal maximum of the H field occurs in the time interval 0930-1230 LT, in the equatorial electrojet belt using published geomagnetic data of stations in the Indian equatorial region. It is found that much of the phase variability of Sq ( H ) on NQDs may be caused by the influence of southward (negative) perturbation fields in the H component, similar in nature to those associated with AQDs but of a much smaller amplitude, close to the usual time of the diurnal maximum of the H field. The perturbation fields are noticed to be essentially of the ionospheric dynamo region origin. Possible mechanisms that might give rise to the observed perturbation fields are discussed.     

A description of the external and internal quiet daily variation currents at North American locations for a quiet-Sun year

Summary. An order 4, degree 12 spherical harmonic analysis of the smoothed quiet geomagnetic daily variations was used to separate the external and internal geomagnetic S _q field at North American locations for the quiet-Sun year, 1965. These fields were represented by a month-by-month display of equivalent current vortex systems with dominant, pre-noon foci. The focus reached 40° latitude near the June solstice and about 30° latitude near the December solstice. The daily range of S _q current amplitudes was largest in late July to early August and smallest in mid-December. Semi-annual variations of S _q currents dominated only the equatorial region. Daily maxima in mid-latitudes, occurred mostly near local noon in December to February and about 1 hr before noon in June to mid-October. The ratio of external to internal current amplitude vxied from about 1.5 to 1.9 in the middle latitudes with both annual and semiannual changes. An error treatment indicated that the analysis reproduced the form of the surface field with a correlation coefficient of about 0.9 and the amplitudes of the surface field to about 10 per cent of the S _q daily range.     

Observation of electric currents in the Alaska oil pipeline resulting from auroral electrojet current sources

Summary. Currents in the 1.28 × 10³ km Alaska oil pipeline, induced from the ionospheric, auroral electrojet, were measured at three sites, near Fairbanks, Paxson and Valdez, Alaska, using a gradient configuration of two fluxgate magnetometers. The observed pipeline current magnitudes, which reached 50 A during times of mild geomagnetic activity, displayed a linear relationship with the electric earth potential. Using the induction relationship between the electric and magnetic fields and the typical spectral composition of the geomagnetic field at high latitudes, I obtained a spectral appearance of the current that shows a maximum in the range of 4.5- to 10-min period. Near Fairbanks the pipeline current amplitudes, I (Amperes), could be represented, approximately, by I = 0.65 B _x T ^−0.5, where B _x(nT) is the north—south geomagnetic field variation amplitude and T (min) is its apparent period. There is much less pipelines current at the sites south of Fairbanks. A previously established relationship between the local electric field and the planetary geomagnetic activity index, Ap , permitted a prediction of the pipeline current surge amplitudes in the Fairbanks region as approximately I = 5.0 Ap . Current surges larger than 500 A may be expected rather often in the Alaska pipeline during large geomagnetic storms.     

Annual variation of the geomagnetic field

Summary. Horizontal and vertical intensity data, obtained between 1957.0 and 1961.0 at 69 observatories, are analysed to determine the worldwide distribution of the annual variation of the geomagnetic field. Only data observed near local midnight are used, to avoid the small, but significant contamination from Sq. Over most of the world the variation is found to be small, with a clear dependence on latitude, but near the poles it is larger and more erratic. The non-polar variation is subjected to spherical harmonic analysis and separated into parts of internal and external origin. The polar variations are shown to be consistent with a north—south oscillation of the mean position of the auroral electrojets during the year. It is suggested that, with the exception of the polar effect, the annual variation is not due to ionospheric currents (as was hitherto believed), but results from an annual variation in the latitude of the ring current.     

Piezomagnetic potentials due to an inclined rectangular fault in a semi-infinite medium

Analytical solutions for the piezomagnetic potentials are derived for strike-slip, dip-slip and tensile-opening fault motions with arbitrary dip and strike angles, so as to be applicable in various types of earthquakes. These solutions are expressed as the composition of elementary functions which are identical to the magnetic potentials produced by magnetic dipoles, quadrupoles and octupoles distributed on the fault plane and other planes. Therefore, the geomagnetic field changes due to the piezomagnetic effect are expressed by the superposition of the fields produced by these equivalent sources.
Examples of calculated results show characteristic features for various types of fault motions as follows: (1) the pattern of the geomagnetic field changes becomes significantly different depending on the strike direction, although the maximum amplitude is almost the same for all directions; (2) the geomagnetic field change reaches a maximum at a dip angle of 90° for strike-slip and tensile-opening fault motions and at 45° for dip-slip fault motion.     

Magnetometer array study in a tectonically active region of Quebec, Canada

Summary. An array of 26 magnetometers deployed in a tectonically active area of Quebec has mapped a boundary in terrestrial electrical conductivity for 200 km along strike. The contrast in conductivity across the boundary, from previous magnetotelluric soundings, is about one order of magnitude. Anomalous variation fields associated with electric currents flowing along the boundary are readily detected at pulsation periods only when the horizontal field is polarized transverse to the structure (the E -polarization case). The anomaly is hardly visible in transfer functions from substorms, for a number of reasons: a predominant H -polarization orientation of the substorm fields, the single order-of-magnitude contrast in conductivity, and the probably small depth extent of the structure. Attempts were made to estimate the response of a one-dimensional earth via the inductive scale length with gradients evaluated from polynomial surfaces fitted to the smoothly varying substorm fields. The results were inconsistent, owing to vertical fields with strong external components and to horizontal fields with scale lengths too small relative to their penetration distances.     

Modelling of solar quiet magnetic field variations near a conductivity anomaly

Summary. A simplified model of the solar quiet-time ionospheric current system is used to calculate the induced currents in a model earth. The conductivity is assumed to be constant below a depth of about 400 km and zero above that depth. The current induced in the north—south conductivity anomaly under the Rocky Mountains is then estimated from the time-varying potential difference between points at 30 and 45° latitude at the surface of the conducting sphere. The purpose of these calculations is to investigate whether variations in the latitude of the northern hemisphere current system vortex will substantially alter the relationship between the observed magnetic field components at the Earth's surface and the local magnetic field gradient caused by the conductivity anomaly. We find that a 10° shift in the latitude of the ionospheric current focus causes a change of 6 per cent or less in the transfer function from the field components to the gradient in the total field. Thus such latitude shifts cannot explain much of the magnetic field gradient variation at periods near 24 hr that has been observed near Boulder, Colorado.     

Electric field at the seafloor due to a two-dimensional ionospheric current

The relation between the seafloor electric field and the surface magnetic field is studied. It is assumed that the fields are created by a 2-D ionospheric current distribution resulting in the E-polarization. The layered earth below the sea water is characterized by a surface impedance. The electric field at the seafloor can be expressed either as an inverse Fourier transform integral over the wavenumber or as a spatial convolution integral. In both integrals the surface magnetic field is multiplied by a function that depends on the depth and conductivity of the sea water and on the properties of the basement. The fact that surface magnetic data are usually available on land, not at the sea surface, is also considered. Test computations demonstrate that the numerical inaccuracies involved in the convolution method are negligible. The theoretical equations are applied to calculate the seafloor electric fields due to an ionospheric line current or associated with real magnetic data collected by the IMAGE magnetometer array in northern Europe. Two different sea depths are considered: 100 m (the continental shelf) and 5 km (the deep ocean). It is seen that the dependence of the electric field on the oscillation period is weaker in the 5 km case than for 100 m.