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Orbital modulation of the Earth's magnetic field intensity

Nature volume 394, pages 464–468 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

More than 20 years ago, on the basis of data from a Pacific sediment core, it was suggested that geomagnetic field intensity may vary with the Earth's orbital obliquity (centred on a period of ∼41 kyr) as a result of the effect of obliquity on precessional forces in the Earth's core1. It had also been proposed that precession plays an important role in the energy budget of the Earth's geodynamo2. But subsequent analyses indicated that the energy available from precession is at least an order of magnitude less than that required to drive the geodynamo3. Here, however, we report a spectral analysis of sedimentary records of relative geomagnetic palaeointensity from two North Atlantic sites which shows significant power both at orbital eccentricity (∼100 kyr) and obliquity (41 kyr). The eccentricity power is also present in bulk magnetic properties (such as susceptibility) and is therefore attributable to lithological variations controlled by eccentricity-driven climate change. The obliquity power, however, is not apparent in bulk magnetic properties, and seems to be a property of the geomagnetic field itself, thus providing evidence for the orbital forcing of geomagnetic field intensity.

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Figure 1: Site 983: relative geomagnetic palaeointensity proxy (mean NRM/IRM), the palaeointensity normalizer (IRM), planktic and benthic oxygen isotopes and filtered percentage CaCO3.
Figure 2: Site 984: relative geomagnetic palaeointensity proxy (mean NRM/IRM), the palaeointensity normalizer (IRM), and planktic and benthic oxygen-isotope data.
Figure 3: Site 983: rock magnetic data indicating fine-grained magnetite as the dominant magnetic mineral.
Figure 4: Power spectra and coherence analysis for various magnetic parameters, and percentage CaCO3 using AnalySeries software30 and the Blackman Tukey method31,32 with a Bartlett window.

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Acknowledgements

We thank C. Laj, C. Kissel and A. Mazaud for logistic support and discussions; and J.S. Stoner and J. D. Ortiz for comments on the manuscript. The paleomagnetic laboratory at Gif-sur-Yvette is supported by CEA and CNRS. At the University of Florida, this project was supported by the US Science Support Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611-7340, Florida, USA

    J. E. T. Channell & D. A. Hodell

  2. Laboratorie des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, CNRS-CEA, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    J. E. T. Channell & B. Lehman

  3. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, 02543, Massachusetts, USA

    J. McManus

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  1. J. E. T. Channell
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Correspondence to J. E. T. Channell.

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Channell, J., Hodell, D., McManus, J. et al. Orbital modulation of the Earth's magnetic field intensity. Nature 394, 464–468 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/28833

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