Magnetic Field Generation and Stratification in Planetary Cores - Earth, Mars, and Mercury

Explore the fascinating differences in magnetic field characteristics among Earth, Mercury, and Mars in this scientific lecture from the University of Leeds' Dr. Chris Davies. Delve into the dynamo processes within liquid iron cores that generate planetary magnetic fields, with Earth maintaining a strong dipolar field for over 3.5 billion years, Mercury exhibiting a field 100 times weaker than Earth's, and Mars experiencing magnetic field decay approximately 4 billion years ago. Learn about the crucial role of stratified regions in planetary cores, their development over 4.5 billion years, and their influence on observable magnetic fields. Understand how available power converts convective fluid motion's kinetic energy into magnetic energy, and discover how stable stratification in upper cores affects the dynamo process and filters the magnetic fields we observe today.