Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Magnetic Fields01:27

Magnetic Fields

7.0K
A moving charge or a current creates a magnetic field in the surrounding space, in addition to its electric field. The magnetic field exerts a force on any other moving charge or current that is present in the field. Like an electric field, the magnetic field is also a vector field. At any position, the direction of the magnetic field is defined as the direction in which the north pole of a compass needle points.
A magnetic field is defined by the force that a charged particle experiences...
7.0K
Magnetostatic Boundary Conditions01:28

Magnetostatic Boundary Conditions

1.5K
An electric field suffers a discontinuity at a surface charge. Similarly, a magnetic field is discontinuous at a surface current. The perpendicular component of a magnetic field is continuous across the interface of two magnetic mediums. In contrast, its parallel component, perpendicular to the current, is discontinuous by the amount equal to the product of the vacuum permeability and the surface current. Like the scalar potential in electrostatics, the vector potential is also continuous...
1.5K
Magnetic Susceptibility and Permeability01:31

Magnetic Susceptibility and Permeability

2.1K
In linear magnetic materials, like paramagnets and diamagnets, magnetization is proportional to the magnetic field intensity. The constant of proportionality, a dimensionless number, is called magnetic susceptibility. The value of the susceptibility depends on the type of material.
When diamagnetic materials are placed under an external magnetic field, the moments opposite to the field are induced. Hence, the susceptibility for diamagnets has a minimal negative value of 10-5–10-6. Since...
2.1K
Magnetic Declination01:19

Magnetic Declination

277
Magnetic declination is the angle between true north, which aligns with the Earth's rotational axis, and magnetic north, which follows the direction of the Earth's magnetic field. This discrepancy exists because the magnetic poles do not coincide with the geographic poles. The value of magnetic declination depends on the observer's location on Earth and is subject to changes over time due to the dynamic nature of the Earth's magnetic field.The declination is called eastern when magnetic north...
277
Atomic Nuclei: Larmor Precession Frequency01:11

Atomic Nuclei: Larmor Precession Frequency

2.4K
The earth's gravitational field produces a 'twisting force' perpendicular to the angular momentum of a spinning mass (such as a spinning top) that causes the mass to 'wobble' around the gravitational field axis in a phenomenon called precession. Similarly, the magnetic moment (μ) of a spinning nucleus precesses due to an external magnetic field directed along the z-axis. The precession of the magnetic moment vector about the magnetic field is called Larmor precession,...
2.4K
Magnetic Field Lines01:19

Magnetic Field Lines

5.2K
The representation of magnetic fields by magnetic field lines is very useful in visualizing the strength and direction of the magnetic field. Each of the magnetic field lines forms a closed loop. The field lines emerge from the north pole (N), loop around to the south pole (S), and continue through the bar magnet back to the north pole.
Magnetic field lines follow several hard-and-fast rules:
5.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Mantle heterogeneity influenced Earth's ancient magnetic field.

Nature geoscience·2026
Same author

Author Correction: Constraining Earth's core composition from inner core nucleation.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Constraining Earth's core composition from inner core nucleation.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

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

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2021
Same author

Quantitative estimates of average geomagnetic axial dipole dominance in deep geological time.

Nature communications·2020
Same author

Geomagnetic spikes on the core-mantle boundary.

Nature communications·2017

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 15, 2025

Geomagnetic Field Gmf and Plant Evolution: Investigating the Effects of Gmf Reversal on Arabidopsis thaliana Development and Gene Expression
11:04

Geomagnetic Field Gmf and Plant Evolution: Investigating the Effects of Gmf Reversal on Arabidopsis thaliana Development and Gene Expression

Published on: November 30, 2015

13.8K

Rapid geomagnetic changes inferred from Earth observations and numerical simulations.

Christopher J Davies1, Catherine G Constable2

  • 1School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK. c.davies@leeds.ac.uk.

Nature Communications
|July 8, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Earth's magnetic field can change direction extremely rapidly, up to ~10° per year, especially when the field strength decreases. These findings from geodynamo simulations and paleomagnetic data suggest these rapid changes originate from core surface flux movement.

More Related Videos

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions
06:10

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions

Published on: March 31, 2023

1.4K
Author Spotlight: Simulation and Analysis of the Temperature Rise of Ring Main Unit Equipment
04:35

Author Spotlight: Simulation and Analysis of the Temperature Rise of Ring Main Unit Equipment

Published on: July 5, 2024

2.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 15, 2025

Geomagnetic Field Gmf and Plant Evolution: Investigating the Effects of Gmf Reversal on Arabidopsis thaliana Development and Gene Expression
11:04

Geomagnetic Field Gmf and Plant Evolution: Investigating the Effects of Gmf Reversal on Arabidopsis thaliana Development and Gene Expression

Published on: November 30, 2015

13.8K
Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions
06:10

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions

Published on: March 31, 2023

1.4K
Author Spotlight: Simulation and Analysis of the Temperature Rise of Ring Main Unit Equipment
04:35

Author Spotlight: Simulation and Analysis of the Temperature Rise of Ring Main Unit Equipment

Published on: July 5, 2024

2.3K

Area of Science:

  • Geophysics
  • Earth Science
  • Dynamo Theory

Background:

  • Earth's magnetic field direction exhibits extreme variations, offering insights into geodynamo processes.
  • Previous paleomagnetic studies reported controversial rapid directional changes (up to 1°/yr), with unknown physical origins in the Earth's core.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the physical processes behind extreme directional changes in Earth's magnetic field.
  • To compare geodynamo simulation results with observational paleomagnetic field models.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of a suite of geodynamo simulations.
  • Comparison with a recent observational field model covering the past 100,000 years.
  • Utilized a simple analogue model to understand flux movement dynamics.

Main Results:

  • Excellent agreement was found between simulation and observational data for extreme directional change amplitudes and latitude ranges.
  • Maximum rates of directional change reached approximately 10°/yr, significantly faster than current changes.
  • These rapid changes predominantly occurred during periods of decreasing magnetic field strength.

Conclusions:

  • Extreme magnetic field directional changes are compatible with the physics of the geodynamo process.
  • The movement of reversed flux across the core surface is strongly associated with these rapid variations.
  • Future research on rapid directional changes should prioritize investigations in low-latitude regions.