Open AccessAnnual variation of the geomagnetic field
Author(s) -
Malin S. R. C.,
Isikara A. Mete
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
geophysical journal of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.302
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1365-246X
pISSN - 0016-8009
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-246x.1976.tb07096.x
Subject(s) - earth's magnetic field , variation (astronomy) , latitude , geomagnetic secular variation , geomagnetic latitude , polar , geology , ionosphere , ring current , atmospheric sciences , geodesy , geomagnetic pole , midnight , geophysics , climatology , geomagnetic storm , magnetic field , physics , astrophysics , quantum mechanics , astronomy
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.