Abstract
In modern magnetic observatories the most widely used instrument for recording magnetic field variations is the triaxial fluxgate magnetometer. For absolute observations, the declination-inclination magnetometer, in conjunction with a proton precession or an Overhauser magnetometer, is the norm. To meet the needs of users, a triaxial fluxgate must have a resolution of 0.01 nT. It must also have good temperature and long-term stability. Several sources of error can lead to degradation of the data, temperature variations and tilting of the sensors being among the most important. The declination-inclination magnetometer consists of a single-axis fluxgate sensor mounted on a nonmagnetic theodolite. With care, most sources of error can be eliminated, and an absolute accuracy of better than 0.1 arcmin is achievable. Proton precession and Overhauser magnetometers make use of the quantum-mechanical properties of protons and electrons to determine the strength of the magnetic field. The Overhauser magnetometer is rapidly supplanting the proton magnetometer (0.1 nT once per second sensitivity) because it can sample the field much more rapidly and precisely (0.01 nT once per second). Potassium magnetometers, which belong to the family of optically pumped magnetometers, are an attractive alternative to Overhauser magnetometers, especially when used in a dIdD instrument.
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Notes
- 1.
Secretary General of IAGA’s email is iaga_sg@gfz-potsdam.de
- 2.
Chemical shifts are due to configuration of the sensor liquid molecules, their nuclear properties, orbital influences of electrons and their span is about 10 parts per million or about 0.5 nT in a field of 50,000 nT.
Abbreviations
- AMOS:
-
Automatic Magnetic Observatory System (Canada)
- ASMO:
-
Automatic Magnetic Observatory System (USA)
- AUTODIF:
-
Automated DIM
- BMZ:
-
Balance magnetometrique zero
- CARISMA:
-
Canadian Array for Realtime Investi-gations of Magnetic Activity
- CCD:
-
charge coupled device
- dIdD:
-
(delta Inclination/delta Declination)
- DIM:
-
Declination-inclination fluxgate magnetometer
- DMI:
-
Danish Meteorological Institute
- EDA:
-
Electronic Design Automation
- EPR:
-
Electron Paramagnetic Resonance
- GAUSS:
-
Geomagnetic Automated System
- GPS:
-
Global Positioning System
- IAGA:
-
International Association of Geomag-netism and Aeronomy
- IGRF:
-
International Geomagnetic Reference Field
- KASMMER:
-
Kakioka Automatic Standard Magnetometer
- LEMI:
-
The Laboratory of Electromagnetic Innovations
- MACCS:
-
Magnetometer Array for Cusp and Cleft Studies
- MRI:
-
Magnetic resonance imaging
- NIM:
-
The National Institute of Metrology (CHINA)
- NIST:
-
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (USA)
- NMR:
-
Nuclear magnetic resonance
- NPL:
-
National Physical Laboratory (U.K.)
- PCs:
-
Personal computers
- PDAs:
-
Personal Digital Assistants
- ppm:
-
proton precession magnetometer
- ppm:
-
parts per million
- QHM:
-
Quartz horizontal magnetometer
- THEMIS:
-
Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms
- TCXO:
-
Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillator
- TPM:
-
Torsion photoelectric magnetometer
- TMS:
-
tetra methyl silane
- UCLA:
-
University of California at Los Angeles’ fluxgate magnetometer
- VNIIM:
-
D.I. Mendeleyev Institute for Metrology (RUSSIA)
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Acknowledgments
We wish to thank Jean Rasson and Barry Narod and the anonymous reviewer for their valuable input.
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Hrvoic, I., Newitt, L.R. (2011). Instruments and Methodologies for Measurement of the Earth’s Magnetic Field. In: Mandea, M., Korte, M. (eds) Geomagnetic Observations and Models. IAGA Special Sopron Book Series, vol 5. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9858-0_5
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