Regionally-triggered geomagnetic reversals.

ABSTRACT: Systematic studies of numerical dynamo simulations reveal that the transition from dipole-dominated non-reversing fields to models that exhibit reversals occurs when inertial effects become strong enough. However, the inertial force is expected to play a secondary role in the force balance in Earth's outer core. Here we show that reversals in numerical dynamo models with heterogeneous outer boundary heat flux inferred from lower mantle seismic anomalies appear when the amplitude of heat flux heterogeneity is increased. The reversals are triggered at regions of large heat flux in which strong small-scale inertial forces are produced, while elsewhere inertial forces are substantially smaller. When the amplitude of heat flux heterogeneity is further increased so that in some regions sub-adiab

SUBMITTER: Terra-Nova F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11577040 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature