Collaborative Research: NSFGEO-NERC: The history of the Earth's magnetic field strength over the last five million years: Filling in the southern hemisphere gap

Earth's magnetic field, generated in the Earth’s core, plays a vital role in our daily lives. It not only guides compass needles, but it also acts as a protective shield, deflecting harmful solar and cosmic particles. However, fundamental questions about the history and variation of this magnetic field remain unanswered.

One intriguing hypothesis is the presence of a persistent hemispheric asymmetry, supported by long-term data compilations spanning five million years. To delve into these mysteries, this project will undertake a comprehensive research project, employing innovative experimental and analytical strategies while focusing on the Southern Hemisphere to address significant gaps in reliable data.

This endeavor aims to provide a clearer picture of the ancient magnetic field and its evolution over time. Apart from unraveling the Earth's magnetic history, this project has broader significance for both science and society. Understanding the behavior of the magnetic field holds great potential for advancing various fields of study, such as geophysics, climate science, and space weather forecasting.

By meticulously collecting and analyzing new samples from Southern Hemisphere locations, combined with a comprehensive reanalysis of existing datasets, the research team aims to refine our knowledge of the magnetic field's strength over the last five million years. These efforts will enhance our ability to interpret paleomagnetic records and improve the accuracy of models used in diverse scientific disciplines.

Furthermore, this project is committed to fostering education, diversity, and knowledge dissemination. It actively supports participation of underrepresented groups and promotes the work of an early career female scientist. Extensive educational resources, including teaching curricula and open-source software packages, will be further developed, allowing Earth Science majors to learn about paleomagnetism and Python programming.

The team is also deeply engaged in the development of the MagIC database, facilitating open access to valuable paleomagnetic data and encouraging collaboration within the scientific community. By adhering to the principles of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) data and Open Code, the project ensures that all data generated, and the code used to interpret the data, will be readily accessible, enabling further research and discoveries.

This is a collaborative proposal between scientists at the University of California San Diego, University of Florida, and Liverpool University, and is therefore co-funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the United Kingdom’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

This research project aims to address the fundamental questions surrounding the Earth's magnetic field. Specifically, it focuses on understanding the presence of a persistent hemispheric asymmetry, which has been supported by long-term data compilations covering a span of five million years. The project proposes a multi-pronged approach, encompassing experimental, analytical, and sampling missions targeting the Southern Hemisphere.

The research team will employ an optimized experimental and analysis strategy, combined with new sampling missions, to address gaps in the global paleomagnetic database. By collecting samples from Southern Hemisphere locations, they aim to enhance the representation of this region in the database and improve the understanding of the magnetic field's behavior.

Additionally, the team will conduct a meticulous analysis of existing datasets to obtain a more accurate depiction of the ancient magnetic field over time. To ensure the reliability of the obtained estimates of ancient field strength, the project incorporates rigorous data analysis and robust experimental protocols. Furthermore, the researchers will provide precise dates for successful paleomagnetic intensity estimates, contributing to the overall quality and accuracy of the data.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.