SCIENCE HIGHLIGHT

Planetary Geodynamics Laboratory, Code 698
Studying the Solid Earth and Planets from Space

August 2005

Purucker, Sabaka Contribute to World Digital Magnetic Anomaly Map

Release of New Compilation Expected in 2007

Mike Purucker and Terry Sabaka of Raytheon at the Planetary Geodynamics Lab are providing important contributions to the development of a World Digital Magnetic Anomaly Map (WDMAM). The project, scheduled for public unveiling in 2007, will produce a map that will outline quasi-static magnetic sources in the earth's upper lithosphere at an unprecedented level of detail (5 km grid). This will be accomplished by combining surface, aircraft and spacecraft data

At a recent meeting in Toulouse, France, a consensus was reached on how the map will be produced and evaluated and the first preliminary global maps were exhibited at a companion scientific session (see the map by Purucker, below). The WDMAM will be published by the Commission for the Geological Map of the World (CGMW), will use the same projections and scales as the Geological Map of the World, and should significantly enhance our understanding of global geology and crustal structure.

Interim working version of the future World Digital Magnetic Anomaly Map presented by Purucker at the IAGA meeting in Toulouse, France. Aeromagnetic data provides the detail in the northern hemisphere and over Australia. Marine and other data will provide more detail in the south.

Mike Purucker, left, part of the WDMAM Executive Committee, produced the map at left. Terry Sabaka, right, is the chief author of the comprehensive model CM4 that will be used to level the data.

Contacts: Mike Purucker, GSFC Code 698, purucker AT geomag DOT gsfc DOT nasa DOT gov

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Responsible NASA official: Dr. Herbert Frey