A model of virtual geomagnetic pole motion during reversals

A new model of virtual geomagnetic pole motion during a reversal of the Ear th's magnetic field is proposed. The model is based on the idea that the ge omagnetic field is the summation of the dipole field and the field of globa l magnetic anomalies (GMAs). At the time of a reversal, the dipole field ch anges its sign and the field of the GMAs remains non-zero. The geographic l ocation of the global magnetic anomalies (Canadian, Brazilian, Siberian and Antarctic) are close to the 90 degrees W and 90 degrees E meridians; this defines the paths of the virtual pole drift at the time of a reversal. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.