Earth’s magnetic field is currently changing dramatically. Is the observed decrease of the dipole moment indicating a future polarity transition? What would be the effects of such a drastic change on system Earth? Can any positive or negative effects on our biosphere or even humans be expected? This book gives a first overview about the geomagnetic field in general and serves as an introduction into geomagnetism. As the topic of the book covers a wide range of scientific disciplines, the first chapter summarises basic principles of geomagnetism and related fields including a historic overview, instruments and measurements, paleomagnetic fields, basics of dynamo theory, etc. The contributed chapters review major results of international activities aiming at understanding the causes and effects of geomagnetic field variations in view of the questions above.

In the last decades, palaeomagnetic research has provided important information about the past variation of the Earth’s magnetic field (EMF) from its origin to the present day. However, questions regarding the origin and evolution of the EMF as well as the frequency and spatial distribution of its variations still remain open to debate. This Special Publication provides new insights into the study of the temporal and spatial evolution of the EMF presenting new data from palaeomagnetic and rock magnetic studies of archaeological materials, sediments and lavas. The papers presented cover a wide range of topics related to archaeology, stratigraphy and climate, including new data from several parts of the world, such as Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, India and the Baltic Sea. This Special Publication aims to present an overview of the most recent secular variation studies and their use to disclose fundamental properties of the EMF evolution.

Using a minimum of mathematics, and without sacrificing depth of coverage, the author clearly presents the geomagnetic source fields. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Reprint from Pure and Applied Geophysics (PAGEOPH), Volume 131 (1989), No. 3

An interdisciplinary review of research in geomagnetism, aeronomy and space weather, written by eminent researchers from these fields.

The Earth's Magnetic Field : Its History, Origin, and Planetary Perspective

Physical and chemical studies of the earth and planets along with their sur roundings are now developing very rapidly. As these studies are of essentially international character, many international conferences, symposia, seminars and workshops are held every year. To publish proceedings of these meetings is of course important for tracing development of various disciplines of earth and plane tary sciences though publishing is fast getting to be an expensive business. It is my pleasure to learn that the Center for Academic Publications Japan and the Japan Scientific Societies Press have agreed to undertake the publication of a series "Advances in Earth and Planetary Sciences" which should certainly become an important medium for conveying achievements of various meetings to the aca demic as well as non-academic scientific communities. It is planned to publish the series mostly on the basis of proceedings that appear in the Journal of Geomagnetism and Geoelectricity edited by the Society of Terrestrial Magnetism and Electricity of Japan, the Journal of Physics of the Earth by the Seismological Society of Japan and the Volcanological Society of Japan, and the Geochemical Journal by the Geochemical Society of Japan, although occasional volumes of the series will include independent proceedings. Selection of meetings, of which the proceedings will be included in the series, will be made by the Editorial Committee for which I have the honour to work as the General Editor.