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Inner Core Rotation from Geomagnetic Westward Drift and a Stationary Spherical Vortex in Earth's CoreThe idea that geomagnetic westward drift indicates convective leveling of the planetary momentum gradient within Earth's core is pursued in search of a differentially rotating mean state, upon which various oscillations and secular effects might be superimposed. The desired state conforms to roughly spherical boundary conditions, minimizes dissipative interference with convective cooling in the bulk of the core, yet may aide core cooling by depositing heat in the uppermost core and lower mantle. The variational calculus of stationary dissipation applied to a spherical vortex within the core yields an interesting differential rotation profile akin to spherical Couette flow bounded by thin Hartmann layers. Four boundary conditions are required. To concentrate shear induced dissipation near the core-mantle boundary, these are taken to be: (i) no-slip at the core-mantle interface; (ii) geomagnetically estimated bulk westward flow at the base of the core-mantle boundary layer; (iii) no-slip at the inner-outer core interface; and, to describe magnetic locking of the inner core to the deep outer core, (iv) hydrodynamically stress-free at the inner-outer core boundary. By boldly assuming the axial core angular momentum anomaly to be zero, the super-rotation of the inner core is calculated to be at most 1.5 degrees per year.
Document ID
19990115918
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Voorhies, C. V.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Date Acquired
August 19, 2013
Publication Date
July 19, 1999
Subject Category
Geophysics
Meeting Information
Meeting: International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics General Assembly
Location: Birmingham
Country: United Kingdom
Start Date: July 19, 1999
End Date: July 30, 1999
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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