American Friends of Tel Aviv University | 2017 Feb 14
New evidence says geomagnetic force "spiked" in 8th century BCE, say TAU, Hebrew University, UC San Diego researchers
Albert Einstein considered the origin of the Earth’s magnetic field one of the five most important unsolved problems in physics. The weakening of the geomagnetic field, which extends from the planet’s core into outer space and was first recorded 180 years ago, has raised concern by some for the welfare of the biosphere.
But a new study published in PNAS from Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and University of California San Diego researchers finds there is no reason for alarm: The Earth’s geomagnetic field has been undulating for thousands of years. Data obtained from the analysis of well-dated Judean jar handles provide information on changes in the strength of the geomagnetic field between the 8th and 2nd centuries BCE, indicating a fluctuating field that peaked during the 8th century BCE. ...
Six Centuries of Geomagnetic Intensity Variations Recorded by Royal Judean Stamped Jar Handles - Erez Ben-Yosef et al
- Proceedings of the NAS (online 13 Feb 2017) DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1615797114