The main difficulty in assessing the statistical properties of the mechanism responsible for the inversion of the Earth's magnetic field is caused by the existence of several geomagnetic time-scales which have been proposed on the basis of different assumptions and approximations. We have used the 11 scales proposed earlier by other workers to study the symmetry of the distributions of the normal and reversed polarity intervals, the presence of a trend and/or different regimes in the rate of polarity change, and the type of statistical distribution that rules the occurrence of reversals. This comparative analysis gives the following results common to all geomagnetic scales: 1. (1)the normal and reversed polarity intervals are symmetrically distributed; 2. (2)the rate of reversal occurrence increases exponentially with no significant periodicity; 3. (3)a time-dependent gamma distribution provides an appropriate fit for the series of reversals. © 1990.

Statistical analysis of the geomagnetic reversal sequences / Marzocchi, W.; Mulargia, F.. - In: PHYSICS OF THE EARTH AND PLANETARY INTERIORS. - ISSN 0031-9201. - 61:3-4(1990), pp. 149-164. [10.1016/0031-9201(90)90103-5]

Statistical analysis of the geomagnetic reversal sequences

Marzocchi, W.;
1990

Abstract

The main difficulty in assessing the statistical properties of the mechanism responsible for the inversion of the Earth's magnetic field is caused by the existence of several geomagnetic time-scales which have been proposed on the basis of different assumptions and approximations. We have used the 11 scales proposed earlier by other workers to study the symmetry of the distributions of the normal and reversed polarity intervals, the presence of a trend and/or different regimes in the rate of polarity change, and the type of statistical distribution that rules the occurrence of reversals. This comparative analysis gives the following results common to all geomagnetic scales: 1. (1)the normal and reversed polarity intervals are symmetrically distributed; 2. (2)the rate of reversal occurrence increases exponentially with no significant periodicity; 3. (3)a time-dependent gamma distribution provides an appropriate fit for the series of reversals. © 1990.
1990
Statistical analysis of the geomagnetic reversal sequences / Marzocchi, W.; Mulargia, F.. - In: PHYSICS OF THE EARTH AND PLANETARY INTERIORS. - ISSN 0031-9201. - 61:3-4(1990), pp. 149-164. [10.1016/0031-9201(90)90103-5]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11588/742678
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