Equatorial auroral records reveal dynamics of the paleo-West Pacific geomagnetic anomaly

Localized regions of low geomagnetic intensity such as the South Atlantic Anomaly allow energetic particles from the Van Allen radiation belt to precipitate into the atmosphere and have been linked to a signature in the form of red aurora–like airglow visible to the naked eye. Smoothed global geomagnetic models predict a low-intensity West Pacific Anomaly (WPA) during the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries characterized by a simple time dependence. Here, we link the WPA to an independent database of equatorial aurorae recorded in Seoul, South Korea. These records show a complex fluctuating behavior in auroral frequency, whose overall trend from 1500 to 1800 AD is consistent with the locally weak geomagnetic field of the WPA, with a minimum at 1650 AD. We propose that the fluctuations in auroral frequency are caused by corresponding and hitherto unknown fluctuations in the regional magnetic intensity with peaks at 1590 and 1720 AD, a time dependence that has been masked by the smoothing inherent in regularized global geomagnetic models. A physical core flow model demonstrates that such behavior requires localized time-dependent upwelling flows in the Earth’s core, possibly driven by regional lower-mantle anomalies.

Rapid intensity variations during the second half of the first millennium BCE in Central Asia and global implications.

<p>Recent archeomagnetic studies performed in different regions of the world have revealed unusual periods of sharp changes in intensity during the first millennium. Here we focus on the study of intensity variations between 600 BCE and 600 CE in central Asia, where an important intensity decrease seems to be present during the second half of the 1<sup>st</sup> millennium BCE. For this purpose, we present a new paleosecular variation (PSV) curve obtained from 51 new archeointensities and the selected previous data located within a radius of 1000 km around Termez (Uzbekistan). The new curve shows an intensity maximum around 400 BCE followed by a rapid decrease. When the virtual axial dipole moment (VADM) values are compared with the Dipole Moment estimations derived from different global geomagnetic models key differences are observed, suggesting an important non-dipolar effect for this feature. Finally, in order to constrain the spatial behaviour of this phenomenon and its global implications, we investigate the PSV intensity and VADM trends from twelve regions distributed among Central America, Europe and Asia. A VADM maximum is observed in Western Europe (Iberia and Germany) around 450 BCE, associated to rates of change of about 9 µT/century. This feature is also observed eastwards, in the Caucasus and the Levant, but associated to lower rates of changes. In Central Asia (Uzbekistan) our new study suggests that maximum values of about 14 µT/century, between 400-300 BCE, were achieved. In other regions, as Eastern Asia and Central America, rapid variations of the intensity are not observed during the targeted period.</p><p> </p>

PENELITIAN GAYABERAT DAN GEOMAGNIT KEPULAUAN ARU, CEKUNGAN WOKAM

Paparan Arafura di bagian selatan Kepulauan Aru merupakan depresi Lempeng Indo-Australia yang ditunjukkan oleh anomali gayaberat dan geomagnet tinggi. Sedangkan depresi di bagian utara yang tertahan Palung Aru diperlihatkan oleh anomali gayaberat tinggi dan anomali geomagnet rendah. Anomali ini diduga sebagai penebalan batuan metamorf yang mengalami pangangkatan sebagai alas cekungan Wokam. Analisis data gayaberat dan geomagnet mengindikasikan penurunan cekungan ini ke arah utara. Penurunan anomali gayaberat ke arah Pulau Wokam yang berarah baratdaya-timurlaut di selatan dan baratlaut-tenggara di daerah utara ditafsirkan sebagai struktur sesar. Hal ini dicirikan oleh arah sungai atau selat sebagai pemisah pulau-pulau di Kepulauan Aru. Anomali gayaberat residual mengindikasikan cekungan dan punggungan berarah baratdaya-timurlaut yang membentuk antiklin dan sinklin. Sesar dan lipatan ini menerus sebagai struktur geologi dangkal bawah permukaan. Berdasarkan pemodelan gayaberat dan geomagnet dapat dikatakan bahwa Cekungan Wokam cenderung menurun ke arah utara akibat sesar normal. Kata Kunci : gayaberat, geomagnet, pemodelan geologi, Cekungan Wokam Arafura Shelf in the southern part of the Aru Islands is a depression of the Indo-Australian crust at the south that indicated by high gravity and geomagnetic anomalies. While the northern depression blocked by the Aru Trough indicated by high gravity anomaly and low geomagnetic anomaly. These anomalies presumed as a thickening of the metamorphic rocks due to uplifting and acting as the basement of Wokam Basin. Gravity and geomagnetic analyses indicate a northward subsidence of the basin. The decreasing of the southwest–northeast gravity anomaly in the south and the northwest-southeast in the north, interpreted as a fault. It this characterized by the river direction or strait as islands separation in Aru Archipilagoes. Residual gravity anomaly indicates a southwest-northeast basin and ridge form anticline and syncline. These faults and folds are continuous as the shallow subsurface geological structures. On the base gravity and geomagnetic models, it can be concluded that Wokam Basin tends to subside northward as the result of a normal fault. Keywords: gravity, geomagnetic, geological models, Wokam Basin

GEODYNAMICS

The spatial structure of geomagnetic field secular variations in Europe was examined. Using the data of geomagnetic observatories the new maps of this secular variation (SV) for X, Y, Z, D – components for 5-years intervals 1995-2000 and 2000-2005 were constructed. Their comparison with the IGRM global geomagnetic models was done. The global anomalies – SV-focuses in the structure of the secular variations in Europe were discovered and their kinematics was studied.