We show that a model, recently used to describe all the dynamical regimes of the magnetic field generated by the dynamo effect in the VKS experiment [1], also provides a simple explanation of the reversals of Earth's magnetic field, despite strong differences between both systems.
We study predictions of reversals of Earth's axial magnetic dipole field that are based solely on the dipole's intensity. The prediction strategy is, roughly, that once the dipole intensity drops below a threshold, then the field will continue to decrease and a reversal (or a major excursion) will occur. We first present a rigorous definition of an intensity threshold-based prediction strategy and then describe a mathematical and numerical framework to investigate its validity and robustness in view of the data being limited. We apply threshold-based predictions to a hierarchy of numerical mod…
The timeline of the Earth's history reveals quasi-periodicity of the geological record over the last 542 Myr, on timescales close, in the order of magnitude, to 1 Myr. What is the origin of this quasi-periodicity? What is the nature of the global events that define the boundaries of the geological time scale? I propose that a single mechanism is responsible for all three types of such events: mass extinctions, geomagnetic polarity reversals, and sea-level fluctuations. The mechanism is fast, and involves a significant energy release. The mechanism is unlikely to have astronomical causes, both …
One of the most intriguing features of Earth's axial magnetic dipole field, well-known from the geological record, is its occasional and unpredictable reversal of polarity. Understanding the phenomenon is rendered very difficult by the highly non-linear nature of the underlying magnetohydrodynamic problem. Numerical simulations of the liquid outer core, where regeneration occurs, are only able to model conditions that are far from Earth-like. On the analytical front, the situation is not much better; basic calculations, such as relating the average rate of reversals to various core parameters,…
The Matuyama-Brunhes reversal of Earth's magnetic dipole field took place 0.78 Ma ago, and detailed temporally resolved paleomagnetic data are available for this period. A geomagnetic reversal is expected to impact the cosmic ray flux, which in turn might impact atmospheric ionization rates. In this study a model that yields atmospheric ionization for the entire globe based on an input magnetic field is presented. Taking the time dependent paleomagnetic data as input, a 3D time series of the atmospheric ionization rates during the reversal is produced. We show, that as the dipole field weakens…
An Earth-like planetary magnetic field has been widely invoked as a requirement for habitability as it purportedly mitigates the fluxes of ionizing radiation reaching the surface and the escape of neutrals and ions from the atmosphere. Recent paleomagnetic evidence indicates that the nucleation of Earth's inner core, followed perhaps by an increase in geomagnetic field strength, might have occurred close to the Ediacaran period. Motivated by this putative discovery, we explore the ensuing ramifications from the growth or reversals of Earth's dynamo. By reviewing and synthesizing emerging quant…
The dynamo effect is the most popular candidate to explain the non-primordial magnetic fields of astrophysical objects. Although many systematic studies of parameters have already been made to determine the different dynamical regimes explored by direct numerical geodynamo simulations, it is only recently that the regime corresponding to the outer core of the Earth characterized by a balance of forces between the Coriolis and Lorentz forces is accessible numerically. In most previous studies, the Lorentz force played a relatively minor role. For example, they have shown that a purely hydrodyna…
Over its multibillion-year history, Earth has exhibited a wide range of climates. Its history ranges from snowball episodes where the surface was mostly or entirely covered by ice to periods much warmer than today, where the cryosphere was virtually absent. Our understanding of greenhouse gas evolution over this long history, specifically carbon dioxide, is mainly informed by deterministic models. However, the complexity of the carbon cycle and its uncertainty over time motivates the study of non-deterministic models, where key elements of the cycle are represented by inherently stochastic pro…