Geomagnetism - services and data | Geoscience Australia

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Calibration of compasses and magnetometers

Geoscience Australia can provide a calibration service of magnetic direction finding equipment and magnetometers. We operate a network of magnetic observatories in Australia and Australian Antarctic Territory where the maintenance of precise and highly accurate magnetometers is essential. We can compare clients' direction finding equipment with observatory standards to determine if corrections are required to equipment.

Diurnal variations of the background magnetic field are taken into account, as these are monitored continuously at the observatories. We can determine the relative axis orientations and sensitivity of the magnetometers by using the National Magnetic Calibration Facility at Canberra's Observatory. A well calibrated 3-axis set of large coils resides at this observatory.

Calibration services are provided at standard cost recovery rates.

Australian Geomagnetism Report

The Australian Geomagnetism Report series describes instrumentation and activities, and presents monthly and annual mean magnetic values, plots of hourly mean magnetic values and K indices at the magnetic observatories and repeat stations operated by Geoscience Australia.

Online Australian Geomagnetism Reports

Monthly report series information

This report series began in September 1952 with the publication of the monthly 'Observatory Report'. The publication title was soon changed to the 'Geophysical Observatory Report' which continued to be published monthly from January 1953 (Volume 1, No. 1) until December 1989 (Volume 37, No. 12).

The title changed to the 'Australian Geomagnetism Report' in January 1990 (Volume 38, No. 1) and was published monthly under that name until December 1992 (Volume 40, No. 12).

The monthly issues of the report series contained k indices, preliminary monthly mean values and scalings of magnetic storms and rapid variation phenomena.

Annual report series information

Still with the 'Australian Geomagnetism Report' title, annual publication began with 1993 data (Volume 41). The annual volumes contain more information than the monthly series, including detailed operational information for each observatory, data summaries and plots, details of instrumentation and more.

Volume 46 for 1998 was the final volume to be distributed in printed format. Subsequent volumes will only be available electronically and are available for download above.

Geomagnetic data applications

Real-time Geomagnetic Data - Access to plots of real-time data from magnetic observatories in the Australian observatory network.

Minute Values Request Form - Select an observatory and time period, return the minute values as a plot or data file.

Geomagnetic Indices - Specify a time period and the application will return indices (k, aa, IQD/IDD).

Australia-wide Total Intensity Variability - Using data from the six Australian continental magnetic observatories, a contour display of the rate-of-change of magnetic total intensity (F) over the continent is shown, by date and time.

Australian Geomagnetic Reference Field Values - An application to calculate geomagnetic field values in Australia using the Australian Geomagnetic Reference Field (AGRF) model.