MI2023 - 13 Simon Lloyd: The hunt for inner core nucleation age
Channel: MagNetZ
Date: 2023-01-16

Magnetic Interactions 2023 conference at the University of Cambridge
Session 3: Paleomagnetism and Geomagnetism

Title: The hunt for inner core nucleation age
Author: Simon Lloyd from the University of Liverpool, UK

The formation of a solid inner core is a fundamental and complex event in Earth’s history. Knowledge of its timing would act as a vital constraint on Earth’s energy budget, it’s cooling history and many deep Earth processes. Inner core nucleation likely had significant influence over the Geodynamo, which would manifest as changes in the palaeomagnetic field that it generated. Various techniques and model types are employed to produce age estimates; here, I summarise the model age estimates produced over the last 12 years and discuss their associated uncertainties. These models are arguably more reliable if they can be produce earth-like magnetic field behaviour, and fit within the constraints provided by palaeomagnetic data. I discuss the role of palaeomagnetism, and present the latest palaeointensity data that is potentially relevant to inner core formation and consider their implications.

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00:00 - Intro
00:09 - Presentation
15:30 - Questions