An analogue model for studying magnetic variations induced by ocean waves

Abstract

The scale factors to permit a laboratory analogue model study of the problem of magnetic fields induced by ocean waves in the earth's field are derived. An analogue model employing surface fluid waves in mercury to simulate ocean waves is described. In the analogue model, magnetic field measurements were made 1 cm above a 2 cm deep model mercury ocean for a wave period of 0.21 s. This model simulates measurements 38 m above the surface of a shallow ocean 78 m deep for a wave period of 13 s. The validity of the analogue modelling technique is established by the good agreement obtained in comparing the analogue model measurements of the induced magnetic fields with fields using Podney's expression for an ocean of finite depth.