Magnetic meteorites and the early solar system

Abstract

Today, the Earth generates a magnetic field through convection of the electrically conducting molten iron in its outer core. Core convection is governed by the thermal and chemical processes that operate deep within our planet; thus measurements of the intensity and direction of the magnetic field can provide insights into the thermochemical state of the Earth's interior. Crustal rocks can also record and preserve a memory of the field they experienced as they were forming. Paleomagnetic measurements can therefore provide records of ancient magnetic activity and, by extension, the internal conditions of our planet in the past (Tarduno et al. 2014). A combination of paleomagnetic and present-day magnetic measurements therefore allow us to study the long-term and large-scale evolution of our planet over billions of years; this method could also potentially allow us to predict how it may behave in the future.