Magnetometer

A magnetometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the strength of magnetic fields.

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Earth's magnetism varies from place

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to place and differences in the Earth's magnetic field (the magnetosphere) can be caused by a couple of things:

Related Topics:
Magnetic field - Magnetosphere

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• The differing nature of rocks
• The interaction between charged particles from the sun and the magnetosphere

Magnetometers are used in geophysical surveys to find deposits of iron because they can measure the magnetic pull of iron. Magnetometers are also used to detect archeological sites, shipwrecks and other buried or submerged objects.

Related Topics:
Geophysical survey - Iron - Archeological sites - Shipwrecks

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A magnetometer can also be used by satellites like GOES to measure both the magnitude and direction of the earth's magnetic field.

Related Topics:
GOES - Magnitude - Direction

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Magnetometers are very sensitive, and can give an indication of possible auroral activity before one can even see the light from the aurora.

Related Topics:
Light - Aurora

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Magnetometers can be divided into two basic types:

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• scalar magnetometers, that measure the total strength of the magnetic field to which they are subjected, and
• vector magnetometers, that have the capability to measure the component of the magnetic field in a particular direction. The use of three orthogonal vector magnetometers allows the magnetic field strength, inclination and declination to be uniquely defined.

Examples of vector magnetometers are fluxgates and superconducting quantum interference devices, or SQUIDs. Some scalar magnetometers are discussed below.

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Magnetometer: Proton precession magnetometer ►