From April 2 to 4, the 3rd meeting of the working group “Geomagnetics” of the German Geophysical Society (DGG) took place at the GFZ. It was founded on January 30, 2023 with the aim of combining and further developing the heterogeneously distributed facilities and expertise in the fields of geo-, archaeo-, paleo-, mineral-, environmental- and biomagnetic research in Germany and its neighboring countries.
The 22 participants from Germany and neighboring countries spent a day discussing current and future developments in the fields of geomagnetism and geophysics at the Adolf Schmidt Observatory for Geomagnetism at the GFZ in Niemegk. Projects of the various institutions were presented and possible joint projects as well as integration into international programs and networks were discussed in order to exploit synergies in the context of the diverse fields of application of geomagnetic research. In addition to guided tours of the geomagnetic observatory and the GFZ's laboratory for geomagnetism in space and time on Telegrafenberg, the participants also learned about the history of the two locations.
The topics covered by the working group include observing and measuring the current geomagnetic field, both from the Earth's surface and from satellites and using this data to e.g. for calculating the International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF), for mapping magnetic anomalies in the earth's crust, for characterizing particle current systems and the conditions in near-Earth space (space weather), and for researching the electrical conductivity of the entire earth's mantle and the dynamics of the outer core. On the other hand, the methods used in paleomagnetic laboratories cover a wide range of applications. In addition to providing insights into magnetic field variations in the past, archaeo- and paleomagnetics are used to date archaeological materials and to magnetostratigraphically date sedimentary and volcanic sequences, to characterize magmatic processes and to reconstruct plate tectonics. Investigations of mineral magnetism are used not only to verify paleomagnetic field variations, but also to reconstruct environmental conditions throughout the Earth's history. In addition, environmental magnetism is used for magnetic mapping and soil analysis to detect and analyze the anthropogenic input of magnetic particles into the environment from industry or traffic. In biomagnetism, magnetotactic bacteria are investigated, which can provide valuable information, for example, about the exchange of nutrients in lakes, river deltas and oceans. In combination with determinations of the content of cosmogenic radionuclides and geochemical investigations, insights into climate history can also be gained. This supports efforts to understand current climate change. The methodologies covered by the Geomagnetics Working Group also overlap with other scientific and applied disciplines, such as biology, medicine, solid-state physics, prehistory and early history, environmental technology, ordnance detection and nautical science.
The Geomagnetics Working Group is open to all interested colleagues and will also gradually expand its networking in Europe and internationally.