An Easy Way to Estimate the Total Energy of the Geomagnetic Field

• Autores: Christopher G. Provatidis
• Localización: The Physics Teacher, ISSN 0031-921X, Vol. 62, Nº. 5, 2024, págs. 361-365
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The geomagnetic field is the magnetic field associated with Earth and extends from its interior out into space. It is believed that convection currents in the liquid outer core rotate helically in a manner that generates a magnetic field that is almost parallel with Earth’s axis of rotation. The cause of these convective currents is the heat escaping from the solid inner core, which, assisted by the produced buoyancy and Earth’s rotation, is converted into kinetic energy of a mixture made of molten iron and nickel. This natural process is called a geodynamo (analogous to a dynamo, or generator—a device for converting mechanical energy to electrical energy). For this complex physical phenomenon, the purpose of this paper is to easily determine the total energy of the geomagnetic field mostly in the atmosphere and interplanetary space and also to discuss some issues related to the interior of Earth.