Day Six — Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
I continue to be amazed and amused by the group attending this symposium. Each has a magnificent story to tell and each tells the story with much passion and energy. They LOVE what they do.
Many in the group have traveled extensively and many list travel as one of the parts of their job that they love most. For some, this is their first trip to Greenland. Many have logged time in Antarctica.
They also talk about the thrill of “solving puzzles” and then sharing their ideas with colleagues who have solved other bits of the puzzle. The study of space is a team sport where every player counts.
Today we covered topics that included:
• Magnetic pole reversal and how this might affect life on Earth
• The relationship between Earth’s core and its magnetic field
• Changes in Earth’s upper atmosphere and its affect on us
• The northern lights
• Greenland’s tundra and permafrost
• The solar cycle and changes in the solar cycle
• Earth’s magnetosphere and how it’s affected by the Sun
• Net gains and losses of ice at the ice caps
• Climate changes
• Greenland’s wildlife
I’m sad to think that I have only one more day to talk with individuals in this group. They are a generous and engaging bunch. I appreciate their willingness to help me understand the work that they love and to take time to sit down with me for these interviews. It’s been an honor and privilege to talk with each and every person here.
If you have any questions you’d like me to ask, you have only one day to send them.
May 9th, 2007 at 8:59 am
This sounds like a great symposium. Thank you for sharing the information with us. So what is the relationship between the Earth’s core and the magnetic field?
May 9th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
From Therese Moretto Jorgensen, National Science Foundation:
The magnetism that we measure on the Earth surface has a number of sources. On average, approximately 94% of the measured field is generated by a self-sustained dynamo in the fluid ion core inside the Earth, at 3000 km depth. Another approximately 3% is due to magnetized rocks in the upper-most 10-30 km of the Earth. Finally, the last approximately 3 % is due to electric currents flowing in the tenuous plasma of the upper atmosphere and magnetosphere.
May 9th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
a small typo…. it should be fluid iron/nickel core….
May 9th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
You’ll find out more about this topic when the interview with Therese Moretto Jorgensen is posted.