Can you squash a sphere: z-invariance in dynamo models

Luis Silva (University of Glasgow)

Friday 6th March, 2015 16:00-17:00 Maths 204

Abstract

The Earth can be approximated by a set of concentric spherical regions. In my
line of research, Earth's liquid outer core, the second centermost sphere of
this system is the object of study. Information about Earth's core comes from
seismology and observations of the changes of the geomagnetic field over time.
Because the geomagnetic field is generated inside Earth's core and is considered
one of the key ingredients for life, understanding how the core works is of
prime importance.

In this talk I will give a brief overview of the key geophysical concepts
surrounding the study of Earth's core and present some of the theory I and my
colleagues have been developing to explain why the dynamics inside a rotating
spherical shell could be well approximated by flows with cylindrical symmetry
and axial invariance, quite independently of the force balances involved.

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