Some new approaches to the study of the Earth's magnetic field reversals
Main Article Content
Abstract
Paleomagnetic studies clearly show that the polarity of the magnetic fi eld has been subject to reversals. It is
generally assumed that polarity intervals are exponentially distributed. Here, the geomagnetic polarity reversal
record, for the past 166 Ma, is analysed and a new approach to the study of the reversals is presented. In detail, the
occurrence of 1/f-noise in the Power Spectral Density (PSD), relative to geomagnetic fi eld reversals, the existence
of a Zipf's law behaviour for the cumulative distribution of polarity intervals, and the occurrence of punctuated
equilibrium, as shown by a sort of Devil's staircase for the reversal time series, are investigated. Our results give
a preliminary picture of the dynamical state of the geomagnetic dynamo suggesting that the geodynamo works in
a marginally stable out-of-equilibrium confi guration, and that polarity reversals are equivalent to a sort of phase
transition between two metastable states.
generally assumed that polarity intervals are exponentially distributed. Here, the geomagnetic polarity reversal
record, for the past 166 Ma, is analysed and a new approach to the study of the reversals is presented. In detail, the
occurrence of 1/f-noise in the Power Spectral Density (PSD), relative to geomagnetic fi eld reversals, the existence
of a Zipf's law behaviour for the cumulative distribution of polarity intervals, and the occurrence of punctuated
equilibrium, as shown by a sort of Devil's staircase for the reversal time series, are investigated. Our results give
a preliminary picture of the dynamical state of the geomagnetic dynamo suggesting that the geodynamo works in
a marginally stable out-of-equilibrium confi guration, and that polarity reversals are equivalent to a sort of phase
transition between two metastable states.
Article Details
How to Cite
De Michelis, P. and Consolini, G. (2003) “Some new approaches to the study of the Earth’s magnetic field reversals”, Annals of Geophysics, 46(4), pp. 661–670. doi: 10.4401/ag-4372.
Issue
Section
OLD
Open-Access License
No Permission Required
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia applies the Creative Commons Attribution License (CCAL) to all works we publish.
Under the CCAL, authors retain ownership of the copyright for their article, but authors allow anyone to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute, so long as the original authors and source are cited. No permission is required from the authors or the publishers.
In most cases, appropriate attribution can be provided by simply citing the original article.
If the item you plan to reuse is not part of a published article (e.g., a featured issue image), then please indicate the originator of the work, and the volume, issue, and date of the journal in which the item appeared. For any reuse or redistribution of a work, you must also make clear the license terms under which the work was published.
This broad license was developed to facilitate open access to, and free use of, original works of all types. Applying this standard license to your own work will ensure your right to make your work freely and openly available. For queries about the license, please contact ann.geophys@ingv.it.