Swarm detects tidal magnetic signatures

The tidal flows of Earth’s salty seawater across Earth’s magnetic field lines generate electric currents within the ocean. These in turn induce secondary magnetic fields that form part of the planet’s complex magnetic field signal that can be detected from space. ESA’s Swarm satellites can measure these tiny oceanic magnetic fields and distinguish them from other magnetic fields such as those from the core, ionosphere, magnetosphere and magnetised crust. This data can be used to study physical properties of suboceanic materials as well as to understand more about the salinity and temperature of our oceans.

Read full story: Swarm detects tidal signatures of our oceans.