Is there a link between Earth's magnetic field and low-latitude precipitation?

Research Article| January 01, 2009 Is there a link between Earth's magnetic field and low-latitude precipitation? Mads Faurschou Knudsen; Mads Faurschou Knudsen 1Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PR, UK 2Department of Geography and Geology, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark 3Department of Earth Sciences, University of Aarhus, Hoegh-Guldbergs Gade 2, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Peter Riisager Peter Riisager 4Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Mads Faurschou Knudsen 1Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PR, UK 2Department of Geography and Geology, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark 3Department of Earth Sciences, University of Aarhus, Hoegh-Guldbergs Gade 2, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark Peter Riisager 4Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 26 Jun 2008 Revision Received: 11 Sep 2008 Accepted: 19 Sep 2008 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 © 2009 Geological Society of America Geology (2009) 37 (1): 71–74. https://doi.org/10.1130/G25238A.1 Article history Received: 26 Jun 2008 Revision Received: 11 Sep 2008 Accepted: 19 Sep 2008 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Mads Faurschou Knudsen, Peter Riisager; Is there a link between Earth's magnetic field and low-latitude precipitation?. Geology 2009;; 37 (1): 71–74. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G25238A.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Some studies indicate that the solar modulation of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) particles has profound consequences for Earth's climate system. A corollary of the GCR-climate theory involves a link between Earth's magnetic field and climate, since the geomagnetic field also modulates the GCR flux reaching Earth's atmosphere. In this study, we explore this potential geomagnetic-climate link by comparing a new reconstruction of the Holocene geomagnetic dipole moment with high-resolution speleothem data from China and Oman. The speleothem δ18O data represent proxy records for past precipitation in low-latitude regions, which is a climate parameter that is likely to have been sensitive to variations in the GCR flux modulated by the dipole moment. Intriguingly, we observe a relatively good correlation between the high-resolution speleothem δ18O records and the dipole moment, suggesting that Earth's magnetic field to some degree influenced low-latitude precipitation in the past. In addition to supporting the notion that variations in the geomagnetic field may have influenced Earth's climate in the past, our study also provides some degree of support for the controversial link between GCR particles, cloud formation, and climate. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.