Guide for Magnetic Measurements and Observatory Practice
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GA GUIDE FOR MAGNETIC MEASUREMENTS AND OISERVAIORY PRACTICE . by JERZY JANKOWSKI and CHRISTIAN SUCKSDORFF WARSAW 1996 GA GUIDE FOR MAGNETIC MEASUREMENTS AND OBSERVATORY PRACTICE Je~ Jankowski Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences Warsaw, Poland Christian Sucksdorff formerly head of Geophysics Division, Finnish Meteorological Institute Helsinki, Finland Warsaw 1996 Copyright © 1996 by International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the Secretary-General of the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy. ISBN: 0-9650686-2-5 Published by: International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy J. A. Joselyn, Secretary-General NOAA Space Environment Center, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80303-3328, USA Camera ready copy prepared by: Editorial Office of the Institute of Geophysics Polish Academy of Sciences Ks. Janusza 64, 01-452 Warszawa, Poland Printed and bound by: Zesp6l Wydawniczy Centrum Badm Kosrnicznych PAN ul. Bartycka 18a. 00-716 Warszawa, Poland CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................... 7 2. THE MAGNETIC FIELD OF THE EARTH ...................... 15 2.1 Main field and secular variation . .. 16 2.2 Crustal anomalies ............................................ 23 2.3 Regular variations of the magnetic field .......................... 24 2.4 Magnetic disturbances ....................................... 28 2.5 Special events and magnetic pulsations ........................... 30 2.6 Geomagnetic coordinates and geomagnetic time ................... 33 3. SELECTION OF OBSERVATORY SITE AND LAYOUT OF THE OBSERVATORY ....................................... 36 3.1 Requirements for the observatory site ........................... 37 3.2 Buildings at a magnetic observatory ............................ 38 3.3 Avoiding gaps in recordings ................................... 47 3.4 Some practical advice ........................................ 48 4. MAGNETOMETERS ........................................... 51 4.1 Definitions ................................................. 51 4.2 Short notes about some historical instruments ..................... 53 4.3 Torsion magnetometers ....................................... 54 4.3.1 Declinometer. ......................................... 54 4.3.2 Quartz horizontal magnetometer QHM ..................... 56 4.4 Torsion variometers .......................................... 59 4.5 Photoelectric feed-back magnetometer ........................... 61 4.6 Proton precession magnetometer ................................ 65 4.7 Overhauser magnetometer. .................................... 73 4.8 Optically pumped magnetometers ............................... 76 4.9 Fluxgate magnetometer ....................................... 79 4.10 Superconducting magnetometers ............................... 84 5. ABSOLUTE MAGNETIC MEASUREMENTS ..................... 86 5.1 Use of fluxgate theodolite to measure declination D and inclination I .. 87 5.2 Calculation of misalignment of the fluxgate sensor ................. 98 5.3 Use of the proton precession magnetometer to measure total intensity F .......................................... " 102 5.4 Use of the proton precession magnetometer for measurement of the magnetic field components . .. 102 5.5 Use of the declinometer to measure declination D . .. 111 5.6 Use of the QHM to measure horizontal intensity H ................ 115 5.7 Detennination of azimuth from Sun-observations ................. 118 6. RECORDING OF MAGNETIC VARIATIONS ................... 125 6.1 Installation of the station. .. 125 6.2 Temperature effects . .. 129 6.3 Tilt: compensation and correction ............................. 130 604 Time keeping at a magnetic observatory ........................ 132 6.5 Digital recording . 134 6.6 Analog recording ........................................... 136 6.7 Comparison of analog and digital recording systems .............. 136 7. DATA PROCESSING ................ .................... ... 138 7.1 Sampling rate ............................................. 139 7.2 Base-line values ........................................... 142 7.3 Removing artificial disturbances .............................. 143 7 A Dissemination of data . .. 146 7.5 Observatory yearbooks ...................................... 148 7.6 Activity indices and special events ............................. 150 7.7 INTERMAGNET .......................................... 153 7.8 Observatory routine ... .. .................................... 156 8. TESTING AND CALIBRATING INSTRUMENTS ................ 158 8.1 General connection between field-component variations and the output of variometers ............................................. 158 8.2 Testing orthogonalities by comparison .......................... 160 8.3 Testing orthogonalities and sensitivities using coil systems .......... 162 804 Testing using a turntable . .. 166 8.5 Testing and adjusting absolute instruments ....................... 167 8.6 Comparisons of absolute instruments ........................... 171 8.7 Coil systems for testing magnetometers ......................... 173 9. INFLUENCE OF INDUCTION IN MAGNETIC RECORDINGS . .. 177 9.1 Practical consequences .................................. .. 181 10. USEFUL CONTACTS AND ADDRESSES ....................... 183 10.1 IAGA, the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy. 183 10.2 World Data Centers. .. 184 10.3 International Service of Geomagnetic Indices .............. .. 186 lOA INTERMAGNET .......................................... 186 11. MISCELLANEOUS. .. 189 11.1 Micromagnetics ............................ '. .. 189 11.2 Geomagnetism and biology. .. 189 11.3 Influence of magnetic activity on radio communications, satellites and power lines. .. 190 1104 Prediction of magnetic activity . ............ ..... .. .. .. ..... 191 12. A FORWARD LOOK ........ .. ... .......... .. ... .. .. .. 194 12.1 Uses of geomagnetic data ... .. ......... ... .... ...... .. .. 194 12.2 Future instrumentation .. .............. .. .... .. .. ... .. .. 195 12.3 Network of observatories . .. .......... ....... ... ...... ... 198 13. LITERATURE .............. 200 APPENDIX I: MAGNETIC OBSERVATORIES . .. .... ....... .... 205 APPENDIX II: SI AND GAUSSIAN UNITS IN GEOMAGNETIC PRACTICE ................ .... ......... .. ............... 213 APPENDIX III: IAGA RESOLUTIONS RELEVANT TO OBSERVATORIES ...... ............ .... .. .. .. .. .. ........ 217 APPENDIX IV: DISTURBING EFFECT OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL ON MEASUREMENTS . .... ... .. ... .. ... ............... 225 IV.l Magnetic field of a sphere in an external magnetic field . 225 IV.2 Demagnetization factor . ... ..... .. .... .. .. .... ...... 226 IV.3 Induced and remanent magnetization of a magnetic body ... .. .. 228 IVA Simplified formulae for the calculation of the effect of a magnetic body .... .. .. .. .. ......... .. .. .. ..... .... .. 229 SUBJECT INDEX ... ...... ....... .... ..... ... ... ... .. 233 1. INTRODUCTION The objective of geomagnetic observatories is to record continuously, and over the long term, the time variations of the magnetic field vector and to maintain the accurate absolute standard of the measurements. To fulfill the present requirements of accuracy means that over the whole recorded spectrum, the variations should be recorded with an accuracy of about 1% or better. To achieve this at the low frequency end of the spectrum, which means very slow variations like the annual change, current technology requires independent absolute measurements to be made periodically in order to calibrate the continuously recording instruments. This Guide describes the present instrumentation in geomagnetism, concentrating mainly on the use of the instruments so that the required high accuracy is achieved. The main phenomena studied in geomagnetism are also briefly described, and so is the physics· behind the measurement techniques, because we believe that understanding why and how the measurements are made increases the interest in the work and leads to higher quality results. The history of magnetism and its practical use is thousands of years long, according to ancient literature and poems. No exact data exist on the discovery of the compass and its use; they are only mentioned in other contexts. The mystical power of magnetite or lodestone of attracting iron particles is mentioned by the Chinese hundreds of years B.C. So is the method for making needles magnetic and north or south orienting by rubbing the needles with lodestone. According to the book entitled Dream Pool Essays by the Chinese scientist Shen Kua, the Chinese used compasses in seafaring in the eleventh century A.D. On land, south pointing needles were in use in China perhaps thousands of years earlier. Iron technology was advanced in ancient China. The Chinese could produce steel, which was a good material for compass needles. The earliest definite mention of the use of a mariner's compass in Europe is by Alexander Neckam, about 1190, in his De Utensilibus and De Naturis Rerum, but probably the compass was already a routine instrument at that time (for the history of terrestrial magnetism see, e.g., Chapman and Bartels (1940), pp. 898-937, and for the Chinese inventions, e.g., Temple (1986), and, in greater detail, Science and Civilisation in China by Joseph Needham (Needham, 1962), where Vol. 4, Part 1, deals with the physical sciences including music and magnetism). The magnetic variation or magnetic declination (the compass needle