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Earth Rotation, Excitation, Core

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Encyclopedia of Geodesy

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

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Definition

Earth Rotation, Excitation, Core. Temporal variations in the amplitude and orientation of the rotation vector of the solid Earth, which comprises the mantle and crust, excited by processes originating in the Earth’s core.

Introduction

The Earth’s magnetic field is generated and maintained by convective flows in the electrically conducting fluid outer core (FOC). Interactions between these flows and the mantle at the core-mantle boundary (CMB) and the solid inner core (SIC) at the inner core boundary (ICB) lead to transfer of angular momentum between the FOC, SIC, and mantle. Within each of these three interior regions, a change in angular momentum entrains a change in the rotation vector. Observations of Earth rotation are made at the Earth’s surface in a reference frame fixed to the crust. The latter is rotating with the mantle as a single body, so Earth rotation variations refer then to variations in mantle rotation. Thus, through torques between the mantle and core,...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Mathieu Dumberry

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  1. Mathieu Dumberry
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Correspondence to Mathieu Dumberry .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Geodetic Institute, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany

    Erik Grafarend

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Dumberry, M. (2018). Earth Rotation, Excitation, Core. In: Grafarend, E. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geodesy. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02370-0_85-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02370-0_85-1

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