Preface

The intention of the author of this article is to write on the subject of the earth’s magnetism with the minimum of mathematics and the minimum of references. My interest in this subject spans the last 30 years and during that time I have read countless numbers of articles with countless number of references. Now in the second millennium, we are no closer to a solution than we were during the time of Albert Einstein. He proposed that the earth’s magnetism was due to each atom of the earth contributing to the magnetic effect and that when one would go into a deep mine, the magnetism should be less than on the surface. When this theory was put to the test, it was found that the magnetism increased with depth instead of decreasing as found with gravity.

Every one on the earth is in the magnetic field of the earth including those on the space station. In order to detect this magnetism, one must resort to a device such as a magnetic compass. The compass alone is unable to detect the quality of the magnetism. This article will start with a qualitative determination of the earth’s magnetism then continue onward to an explanation of the cause of the earth’s magnetic field and finally how and why the earth’s magnetic field reverses.

This article is intended for the average person; however it was not intended for submission to a scientific journal. The mathematics used will be explained in detail when used, and the physics and geology will also be explained and limited to that which is required.

The material in this article is covered by one or more of the following copyrights:

1974-A-538398, 1975-A-630104, 1976-A-736562, 1993-TX-3-733-336, 1995-TX-4-170-746, 1997-TX-4-456-373, 1998-TX-4-742-827, 1999-TX-5-003-401, 1999-TX-5-089-828, 2000-TX-5-190-709.

Eugene D. Richard.

When electrons are flowing through a wire, a magnetic field is produced around the wire. If the fingers are wrapped around the wire with the thumb pointing in the direction that the electrons are flowing, then we can say that the lines of magnetic force point in the direction indicated by the fingers (lines of magnetic force really do not exist, but this is a way of indicating the direction of the magnetic field ). The flow of electrons is described as the electron flow which is the opposite of the conventional flow used in electrical engineering. Figure 1 describes electron flow and the resulting magnetic field.

Also the pointed fingers indicate the direction that a unit positive pole would travel if the positive pole was free to travel. It should also be noted that a unit positive magnetic pole doesn’t exist; they always come in pairs, a north and a south magnetic pole. In addition, if one would place a sensitive compass or magnetic detecting device above the wire the north seeking pole would be pointing to the north where there is a south magnetic pole, therefore it has been determined that there is a south magnetic pole at the north geographic pole.

This same philosophy can be extended to the earth if one assumes that the earth’s magnetic field is due to electrons flowing eastward in the earth. If one stands on the surface of the earth at the magnetic equator with his left hand extended and the thumb pointing eastward and the fingers pointing northward, this is the direction that a unit north magnetic pole would travel if free to travel. The unit north magnetic pole would travel to the south magnetic pole of the earth which is located at the north geographic pole of the earth. The two examples described are both due to electrons flowing and this is indicative that both are the same type of magnetic field and we describe the earth’s magnetic field as the normal field. When the earth’s magnetic field reverses we will then refer to this type field as a reverse field.

It was assumed that electrons are responsible for the normal magnetic field of today. This assumption is correct as long as the interior of the earth is hot enough to produce ionization. The estimated temperature of the interior of the earth is thought to be in the neighborhood of 6000 degrees. Magma from deep seated volcanoes is estimated to be over 1200 degrees at the surface of the earth; therefore ionization is very likely with the resulting charges of a positive and negative charge (electron) for ionization. If these charges remained in the same vicinity that they were produced in, then magnetism would not be produced since the magnetism of the charges would cancel. Now if the electron were to move away from the positive charge then the two types of charges would both produce magnetism.

For positive charges, the right hand rule is used. If the observer is at the magnetic equator and extends his right hand out with the thumb pointing eastward in the direction of motion of the positive charges, his extended fingers would point in the direction that a positive unit magnetic charge would travel if free to move. His fingers would be pointing to the south geographic pole where the south magnetic pole is now located. In other words, the magnetism of the earth has reversed and would be considered a reversed field. Another way of viewing this is to stand with both thumbs pointing eastward then it is apparent that either one or the other will produce the magnetism of the earth since the fingers on the hands are opposing each other.

The result of the above is that we are now able to distinguish the difference between a normal field, which we have on earth at the present time from a reverse field, which we have had in the past and will have in the future. We are also able to distinguish the difference between the field produced by the flow of electrons or the flow of positive charges. Figure 3 gives three examples of dipolar magnetism and the fourth example (the earth) is not shown.

The intensity of the field at the center of the coil with electrons would be as follows with "I" being the current, "r" the radius of coil, "B" the intensity of the magnetic field at the center, and "u" a constant depending on unit:

Likewise the intensity of the field at the center of the coil with positive charges would be:

These six parameters, Q-, Q+, r-, r+, t-, and t+, will determine the quality and quantity of the field measured outside the coils by means of a measuring device. In the earth where ionization is the determining factor as to how many charges are available for the production of a magnetic field, it should be noted that the ratio of Q- to Q+ would always be equal or nearly equal to one. Therefore the quantity and quality of the magnetic field would depend on the remaining four parameters, r-, r+, t-, and t+. It should also be noted that the strength of the field on the surface of the earth depends on the strength of the field at the center of the earth or B_surface is proportional to B_center.

An experiment to test the above derivation was performed at McNeese State University in 1974 and 1975. Two power supplies, two concentric coils in the same plane, and magnetic compasses were used to show that the field reversed with variations in current to the separate coils. Varying the current was essentially varying the charges in the coils. This was easy to do in the laboratory, but in the earth this is not possible because the ratio of the two different charges must remain approximately equal to one in the earth.

Since electrons have the ability to move through solids, liquids, and gases they will not remain in the region of maximum heat but tend to move radially outward from the center of the earth. How far outward they move will depend on the electrostatic force due to positive charges in the center of the earth. The electrons will tend to form a spherical cloud at some distance from center of the earth.

Now we have positive charge particles at the center of the earth and electrons at various distances from the center of earth and as the earth rotates on its axis every 24 hours the charges will have different velocities depending on their position from the center of the earth. The magnetic effect will depend on their velocity, relative to an observer on the surface of the earth. The following table will give relative velocities at various distances from the center.

Relative velocity is given by the formula:

Velocity of observer- Velocity of electrons = Relative velocity.

If an observer is on the surface of the earth and if the electrons are on the surface also, then the relative velocity is zero. From the table, 463 – 463 = 0. Another example is with the observer on the surface and the electrons are at one half the radius of earth, then 463 – 232 = 231.

In order to understand the relative motion of electrons at different levels within the earth, let’s consider table 1 where the speed is 232 meters per second. The electrons were here because of the heat in the interior of the earth and for them to get to a higher level (342 meters per second) the interior of the earth must get hotter in order to overcome the electrostatic force holding them in their present position. This is what we are experiencing at the present time and this phenomenon is referred to as global warming. When the interior of the earth is hot enough to have the electron cloud go from 232 to 342 meters per second, resulting in the change of relative motion of the electrons from 231 to 121 meters per second. This change of relative motion of electrons is the equivalent of reducing the current in the coil, which then allows the magnetic field of positive charges to predominate and in essence change the magnetic field from a normal field to a reverse field. With a reversed field, some mechanism within the earth causes a cooling effect to begin. This cooling effect continues until glaciers have formed on the surface, and then the relative effect changes from 121 to 231 meters per second. This change is due to electron cloud going from a speed of 342 to 232 meters per second, which then brings on another change and that is a magnetic reversal from reverse to normal.

The above paragraph is an example of reversals due to electrostatic changes within the earth. When the electron cloud is pushed radially outward due to heat, magnetism is reduced because of changes in relative motion of electrons. If they are pushed out enough then this allows the positive charges to predominate and we have a magnetic reversal. This then allows some mechanism within the earth to start a cooling effect. When this effect is sufficiently large enough, then the electron cloud again moves inward towards the earth’s center resulting in an increase in magnetism due to electrons. When the electrons effect is large enough, then we will have another change in magnetism, the magnetism will change from a reverse field to a normal field. This is again an electrostatic change due to electrons.

If one considers the theory thus far, with the positive charges located at the center of the earth in a sphere defined with a radius of approximately 1600 kilometers, the negative charges would be located in a spherical shell with an inner radius of 1600 kilometers and an outer radius of 3200 kilometers. As the temperature rises or falls, their respective radii would increase or decrease. Also if the ratio of positive charges to negative charges remains approximately equal to one, then there would be no reversal for any temperature, which has not been the case for the geological past.

In order to have a reversal, the field due to positive charges must increase and the field due to negative charges must decrease. In order to accomplish this, one has to resort to relativity, with the surface of the earth as the location of the observer. The formula for relativity is as follows:

(Velocity of observer) – (Velocity of charges) = (Relative velocity).

With this formula and Table 1, it can be shown that the normal field of today will eventually reverse due to an increase in temperature of the interior of the earth which causes an increase in the radius of the electrons.

Also an increase in temperature will cause an increase in the positive charges which would also increase the chances for reversal.

End of Addendum