CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THEORIES ON THE ORIGINS OF GEOMAGNETISM

Abstract

The origins of geomagnetism, to the present day, are not sufficiently well explained. The various theories already presented, for more than a century, none of them attend to all geomagnetic phenomena and behaviors observed in time, whether in units of seconds (s); of hours (h); of days (d); years (a); centuries (100 years); millennia (ka) or millions of years (Ma). The most scientifically accepted theory is the one presented on November 15, 1919, by Joseph Larmor – that of the geodynamo, which would also justify solar magnetism and which, under no circumstances, justifies all the geomagnetic behaviors already verified experimentally. For lack of a better theory, this one has been accepted, until a better one appears on the scientific scene. The dynamo theory was also proposed by the German-born American physicist Walter M. Elsasser and the British geophysicist Edward Bullard in the mid-20th century. The present work will critically discuss the main published theories to justify the spectacular and mysterious appearance of the terrestrial magnetic field that, certainly, would justify, in the same way, the magnetic field existing in other celestial bodies.