The Earth's magnetic field originates from the convective motions of liquid iron within the outer core. However, research indicates that this magnetic field has not remained constant throughout the Earth's 4.6-billion-year history. On the contrary, there have been time periods during geological history characterized by various reversals and weakenings in intensity. This conclusion has been reached based on paleomagnetic data obtained from the ocean floor and terrestrial rocks. However, there have often been disagreements over time regarding why such reversal periods occur so frequently. While conventional research argues that this instability stems primarily from the core's intrinsic dynamics, contemporary computer simulations present evidence that top-down surface processes, the Wilson Cycle (along with the associated processes such as CMB heat flux, perovskite mineral transformations), may also influence this instability. This paper examines how the aforementioned Wilson Cycle and the parallel deep-earth processes may affect geomagnetic reversals.
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Deniz Ceylin Aktas (2026) studied this question.
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