(ORDO NEWS) — In their recent study, scientists have discovered small magnetic waves in the Earth‘s core, each oscillation of which works on a seven-year cycle.
The Earth’s magnetic field is generated by the movement of molten iron deep in the planet’s core. The planet’s protective field extends far into space, protecting it from the solar wind. Without a magnetic field, solar radiation would strip the planet of its atmosphere, making it very similar to nearby Mars.
The magnetic field is dynamic, it waxes and wanes over a long period of time. Now, however, researchers have found smaller fluctuations right in the planet’s core.
Nicolas Gillet from the University of Grenoble-Alpes in France and his colleagues studied all the data regarding magnetic field fluctuations. Satellites that continuously monitored the geomagnetic field allowed them to detect tiny year-to-year changes that had not previously been recorded.
“We are trying to understand the physics that is responsible for the evolution of our planet’s magnetic field. It evolves on all time scales, and longer periods show the strongest changes. What we are studying here is tiny fluctuations.
These interannual variations have remained unexplained since their discovery in the late 1970s. By studying them, we will be able to better understand the core, which we are not able to explore on the basis of observations alone, ”the scientists said.
So, in the course of a new study, the team found that small fluctuations occur in the core of the Earth every 7 years. These waves propagate to the west at a speed of about 1448 km/h.
“It was a little unexpected for us. We have been detecting interannual magnetic fluctuations for several years by analyzing satellite records.
However, we assumed that the type of waves responsible for the fluctuations operates on much longer time scales – from centuries to millennia. Now we have revised their physical characteristics and found out that they can exist in interannual periods, ”concluded Gillet.
According to the researchers, their discovery should provide a better understanding of geomagnetic signals in the Earth’s core, which will provide more detailed physical characteristics of the core and magnetic field.
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