The exact cause of magnetic field of Earth is not yet known but some important postulates are:

Magnetic field of Earth may be due to molten charged metallic fluid in core. This rotating fluid results in currents thus magnetising the Earth.

Since every substance is made up of charged particles, these substances rotating about an axis is equivalent to a circulating current and hence
is responsible for the Earth's magnetisation.

As the earth rotates, strong electric currents are set up due to movement of charged iron (due to showers of cosmic ray). These moving ions
magnetise the Earth.

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he earth's magnetic field has an axis which is inclined 20 west of the axis of rotation of earth. The point where this huge earth's magnet cuts the earth's
surface are the magnetic poles. A freely suspended magnet has its north pole pointing towards geographic north; we therefore designate the earth's magnetic
pole close to geographic north as magnetic south. The same argument follows for the south pole of the freely suspended magnet.

The magnetic equator divides the earth's surface into two. The lines of force enter geographic north and come out of the geographic south.

Magnetic Elements
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The strength of the earth's magnetic field is about 10 tesla or 1 gauss.

To describe the magnetic field of earth at any place three quantities or elements are required. They are:

Magnetic declination (q)

Magnetic inclination (d)

Horizontal component (BH)

Magnetic declination is the angle between magnetic axis and the geographic axis.


 Magnetic field around the earth

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Magnetic dip or Inclination

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The angle between the direction of total intensity of Earth's field with the horizontal line in magnetic meridian. It is represented as d.

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At poles, the angle of dip = 90 and at the equator, the angle of dip = 0 .

The dip at a place can be determined by an apparatus known as dipcircle as shown below. The needle rotates freely in the vertical plane of

scale. The pointed ends move over the graduation s on the scale,
which are marked 0-0 in the horizontal and 90-90 in the vertical directions.

Simple Dip Needle

Horizontal component
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Horizontal component is the component of the total intensity of Earth's magnetic field in the horizontal direction in magnetic meridian.

Global and Temporal Variation in Earth's Magnetic Field

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The dipole pattern of earth's magnetic field is disturbed due to solar winds. Solar winds are a stream of charged particles coming from the sun.
These particles ionise the atmosphere above these poles which display a light high up in the atmosphere. This phenomenon occurring in the
arctic region is called aurora borealis or northern lights and in south it is called aurora australis.

The earth's magnetic field is found to change with time. The magnetic poles of earth keep shifting their position which is short term change.
Detailed charts are maintained and revised periodically. The changes occurring over long term come from the evidence of basalt. The basalt from
volcano cools and solidifies and provides the picture of earth's magnetic field. As the basalt can be dated back, a clear picture of the earth's
magnetic field has emerged. The currents in the earth's core slow down, stop and pick up in the opposite direction.