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Observations of the Earth's magnetic field made in Edinburgh from 1670 to the present day

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2011

D. R. Barraclough
D. R. Barraclough
Affiliation:
British Geological Survey, Murchison House, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3LA
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Abstract

Magnetic observations made at the same site give valuable information about the time changes (the secular variation) of the geomagnetic field. This paper gives details of all known measurements of the geomagnetic field in and around Edinburgh since the earliest observation of magnetic declination (the difference between true and magnetic north) by George Sinclair in 1670. Early observations of the strength of the field were only relative measurements. Approximate conversion factors are derived to enable these data to be expressed in modern absolute units (nanoteslas). Observed values of declination, inclination and the horizontal intensity of the geomagnetic field are plotted and compared with values computed from mathematical models of the field covering the interval 1690 to 1990, inclusive. The earlier observations were not corrected for the effects of the rapidly varying magnetic fields caused by electric currents in the upper atmosphere. The consequences of this are estimated.

Keywords

geomagnetismhistorical datasecular variationdaily variationmagnetic disturbance
Type
Research Article
Information
Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of The Royal Society of Edinburgh , Volume 85 , Issue 4 , 1994 , pp. 239 - 252
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1994

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