RJES         

RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES VOL. 11, ES2008, doi:10.2205/2009ES000412, 2009

Initial data for Atlas of Earth's main magnetic field

E. A. Zhalkovsky1, T. N. Bondar2, V. P. Golovkov2, A. V. Khokhlov3, V. I. Nikiforov4, A. E. Berezko1, A. A. Soloviev1, and E. S. Bolotsky1

1Geophysical Center RAS, Moscow, Russia

2IZMIRAN, Moscow, Russia

3Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

4Institute of Physics of the Earth, Moscow, Russia


Abstract

Initial data, used for development of Atlas of Earth's Main Magnetic Field (EMMF) from 1500 to 2010, can be divided in five categories:

  1. Coefficient values of EMMF expansion in spherical harmonics according to the Gauss method for the period of 1900–2005;
  2. Coefficient values of EMMF expansion in spherical harmonics according to the Gauss method for the period of 1500–1900, obtained by modern computations;
  3. Coefficient values of EMMF expansion in spherical harmonics according to the Gauss method for the period of 1500–1900, obtained in XIX century;
  4. Data of geomagnetic observations, obtained in 1500–1900;
  5. Historical world charts of geomagnetic field components, developed in 1500–1900.

The first category is related to the International Geomagnetic Reference Field's (IGRF) data of the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA). The second refers to coefficients, obtained in the framework of several modern approaches to modeling historical EMMF, adopted by the world scientific geomagnetic community. The third – to coefficients, calculated by the founder of the method of EMMF expansion in spherical harmonics K. F. Gauss and some of his contemporaries. The fourth deals with historical geomagnetic observations' data of 1500–1900, accumulated into a single data massif over 20 years by many researchers of the entire world, representing as of to date the most complete collection of such data. The fifth category relates to historical world charts of geomagnetic field components, elaborated by navigators and scientists during 1500–1900: isogonic, isoclinic, isodynamic lines.

Received 26 October 2009; accepted 14 November 2009; published 17 December 2009.

Keywords: Earth's magnetism, atlas, geomagnetic field models, historical data


RJES

Citation: Zhalkovsky, E. A., T. N. Bondar, V. P. Golovkov, A. V. Khokhlov, V. I. Nikiforov, A. E. Berezko, A. A. Soloviev, and E. S. Bolotsky (2009), Initial data for Atlas of Earth's main magnetic field, Russ. J. Earth Sci., 11, ES2008, doi:10.2205/2009ES000412.

Copyright 2009 by the Russian Journal of Earth Sciences