From the connection between Earth’s core and life on the surface, way out to the ends of the solar system, this month’s issue of Eos takes a look at the study of magnetic fields.
magnetic fields & magnetism
Posted inFeatures
A Field Guide to the Magnetic Solar System
Not all planets move the needle. But whatever planet you take a magnetic compass to, it’s sure to point out clues to secrets underfoot.
Posted inFeatures
The Herky-Jerky Weirdness of Earth’s Magnetic Field
Dented, erratic, and wandering, our field is constantly changing its mind.
Posted inScience Updates
Habitability and the Evolution of Life Under Our Magnetic Shield
Earth’s global magnetic field likely dates back billions of years and is a barrier against cosmic radiation. What roles has it played in the planet’s biosphere?
Posted inNews
A Robust Proxy for Geomagnetic Reversal Rates in Deep Time
The strength of Earth’s magnetic field in the distant past can tell scientists whether the planet’s magnetic poles were steady or prone to frequent reversals.
Posted inNews
Do Uranus’s Moons Have Subsurface Oceans?
Scientists tested whether a classic technique could detect subsurface oceans on the moons of Uranus. In this scenario, the planet’s oddball magnetic field offers a big advantage.
Posted inNews
Earth’s Magnetic Field Holds Clues to Human History
Items burned in the sacking of ancient cities are time capsules of geomagnetic data.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Drivers of Upper Atmosphere Climate Change
New research confirms the influence of carbon dioxide on long-term temperature trends in the upper atmosphere, but changes in Earth’s magnetic field also play a key role.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Chemical-Shuttling Bacteria Follow Earth’s Magnetic Field
Magnetotactic bacteria shunt sulfur, nitrogen, and other important elements between oxygen-poor and oxygen-rich waters.
Posted inNews
Bringing Clarity to Magnetic Reconnection
A particle-level process appears to play a key role in planet-sized events throughout the universe.