The National Geomagnetic Initiative (1993) / Chapter Skim
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Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Pages 1-10
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From page 1... ...
These studies have direct applications to important societal problems, including resource assessment and exploration, natural hazard mitigation, safe navigation, and the maintenance and survivability of communications and power systems on the ground and in space. Studies of the Earth's magnetic field are supported by a variety of federal and state agencies as well as by private industry.
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From page 2... ...
These new opportunities can be exploited through a national geomagnetic initiative to define objectives and encourage coordination of efforts among federal and state agencies, academic institutions, and industry to systematically characterize the spatial and temporal behavior of the Earth's magnetic field on local, regional, and global scales in order to understand the physical processes in the solid Earth and geospace environment, and to apply this understanding to a variety of scientific problems and to technical and societal needs. Scientific and Societal Issues Geomagnetic studies are driven by a host of first-order scientific problems as well as by significant societal concerns.
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· How do solar-terrestrial interactions disrupt communication links and power-transmission systems, and can these effects be predicted and mitigated? Main Field and Core Processes The mechanism for generating the geomagnetic field remains one of the central unsolved problems in geoscience.
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The development and updating of standard magnetic field models, such as the International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) , to describe the main field in space and time are invaluable for identifying anomaly fields associated with lithospheric structures, many of which are important in geophysical exploration for mineral and energy resources.
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From page 5... ...
The discovery of magnetic anomalies in oceanic crust was critical for development of the plate tectonics theory. Insights into the character and depth of magnetic source regions aid investigations of the mechanical and thermal structure of the lithosphere, crustal and oceanic accretion and evolution, true polar wander, the variation of magnetic field intensity with time, and the process of magnetic field reversals.
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Because crustal magnetization is sensitive to metamorphism and hydrothermal alteration, magnetic contrasts in the crust reflect variations in thermal and geochemical histories that may be diagnostic for certain energy and mineral deposits. National programs to evaluate earthquake and volcanic hazards, to characterize environmentally contaminated areas, and to permit safe disposal of radioactive waste benefit from magnetic anomaly studies.
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From page 7... ...
Advances in geomagnetic research require observational programs and the timely availability of data derived from: · land and ocean floor measurements; · marine and aircraft measurements; · satellite measurements; and · prehistorical reconstructions, historical data, and laboratory measurements. The basic issues regarding availability of geophysical data have been addressed in several National Research Council reports, including those of the Committee on Data Management and Computing (CODMAC)
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From page 8... ...
1. A national geomagnetic initiative should be undertaken to define objectives and encourage coordination among federal and state agencies, academic institutions, and industry to systematically characterize the spatial and temporal behavior of the Earth's magnetic field on local, regional, and global scales in order to improve the understanding of the physical processes in the Earth and the geospace environment, and to apply this understanding to a variety of scientific problems and to technical and societal needs.
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The objectives should also address the issues involving the preservation and release of existing and future data, including: · the continuation of observational programs and the preservation of resultant data; · the arrangement, where possible, for the release of relevant proprietary and classified geomagnetic data to the scientific community; and · the maintenance of national centers to serve as repositories of geomagnetic data, with emphasis on the management of and access to existing and future data.
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From page 10... ...
It should also take account of pertinent international programs and activities. These diverse elements of the scientific community concerned with geomagnetism and international bodies concerned with relevant international scientific programs have a clear opportunity to make their own activities more effective through the kind of cooperation and coordination envisioned for this national geomagnetic initiative.
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