MAGNETIC FIELD MODEL MF5

Six years of low-orbit CHAMP satellite magnetic measurements have provided an exceptionally high-quality data resource for lithospheric magnetic field modeling. Our fifth generation satellite-only magnetic field model MF5 extends to spherical harmonic degree 100. As a result of careful data selection, extensive corrections, filtering and line-leveling, the model has low noise levels and can be safely evaluated at the Earth’s surface. The model is particularly suited for inferring large-scale structure and composition of the lithosphere. It is also meant to serve as the long-wavelength part of continental- and global-scale marine and aeromagnetic anomaly maps.

The new MF5 model was produced in a very similar way to the previous MF4 model. The aim of keeping the model noise-free up to degree 100 was achieved by two improvements: The first was to use only the latest three years of CHAMP scalar and vector measurements. This has the advantage of a lower flight altitude. But it also makes the altitude distribution more homogeneous. CHAMP was lifted several times in the past years, and its orbit has become even less eccentric. This homogeneous altitude distribution helps in the second improvement, a better line-leveling. The evolution from MF1 over MF3 to MF5 is shown for a low-latitude area in Figure 1, and for a high-latitude (noisy) area in Figure 2.

MF5 figure 1

Fig. 1: The low latitudes are relatively quiet at night-time during undisturbed periods, making it easier to map the magnetic field. As shown for the example of India, there is a steady improvement in resolution from MF1 to MF5.

MF5 figure 2

Fig. 2: The region between Antarctica and Australia is most difficult to map because the auroral oval extends to very low latitudes here, while the crustal signal is rather weak. The reduced level of North/South trending noise in MF5 was achieved by using a line-leveling technique.

Available MF5 Downloads
 TypeFormatMbyteRef. RadiusContents 
DownloadSH coefficientsASCII Table0.26371.2 kmMF5 Model spherical harmonic coefficients 
(Schmid semi-normalized, as usual)
 
DownloadArticlePDF0.6 Fifth generation lithospheric magnetic field model from CHAMP satellite measurements 
DownloadGraphicJPG14GeoidImage of anomaly of total intensity at geoid altitude. 
DownloadGraphicJPG6GeoidImage of vertical component (Z) at geoid altitude. 
DownloadListingZIP6GeoidMF5_F_0.xyz.zip
Ascii grid of anomaly of total intensity at geoid altitude.
 
DownloadListingZIP6GeoidMF5_Z_0.xyz.zip
Ascii grid of magnetic field vertical component (Z) at geoid altitude.
 
DownloadListingZIP66771.2 kmMF5_400_as.xyz.zip
Ascii grid of the analytic signal at 400 km altitude.
 
DownloadListingZIP66771.2 kmMF5_400_dFdx.xyz.zip
Ascii grid of the northward derivative of the total intensity anomaly at 400 km altitude.
 
DownloadListingZIP66771.2 kmMF5_400_dF_dy.xyz.zip
Ascii grid of the eastward derivative of the total intensity anomaly at 400 km altitude.
 
DownloadListingZIP66771.2 kmMF5_400_dFdz.xyz.zip
Ascii grid of the downward derivative of the total intensity anomaly at 400 km altitude.
 
DownloadAnimationMPEG236421.2 kmAnimation showing the vertical component at r=6772.2 km 
for a single, rotating Earth.
 
DownloadAnimationMPEG276421.2 kmAnimation showing the vertical component at r=6421.2 km 
for South and North Polar views, side by side.