Lower mantle conductivity anomalies estimated from geomagnetic jerks

Abstract

The occurrence epochs and duration periods of the 1969, 1978, and 1991 geomagnetic jerks are estimated for 65 geomagnetic observatories by applying a statistical time series model to monthly means of the geomagnetic eastward component. It is found for every jerk that the occurrence epochs around South Africa and South Pacific Ocean are delayed several years from those in other regions. Moreover, it is found for the 1969 and 1978 jerks that the duration times around South Africa, which are defined as the lengths of the duration periods, are longer than those in other regions. The distribution of these anomalous regions of the jerks (i.e., South Africa and South Pacific Ocean) may imply the existence of higher conductivities in the lower mantle beneath these regions, which possibly relates to the fact that the velocity of a seismic S wave in the D″ layer beneath these regions is slower than that in other regions. The mantle conductivities beneath South Africa, South Pacific Ocean, and other regions are estimated through a numerical simulation; the magnetic diffusion equation in the mantle is solved for an abrupt magnetic change generated at the core‐mantle boundary. Comparing the results obtained by the simulation with those obtained by the data analysis, it is plausible that the mantle conductivities beneath South Africa and South Pacific Ocean are higher than that beneath other regions, although there is an ambiguity in the estimated magnitudes of the mantle conductivity.