Geomagnetic observatories in Antarctica; state of the art and a perspective view in the global and regional frameworks

Abstract

The Earth is immersed in a planetary magnetic field. The field is generated in the Earth's core and can be measured at its surface. It shows mainly a typical dipolar profile with the dipole axis roughly parallel to the Earth’s rotation axis (tilting about 12°). At low latitudes the field reaches its minimum, while its maximum intensity is observable in polar regions, reaching there almost three times its equatorial value. The region around the Earth where the geomagnetic field extends is known as the Earth's magnetosphere. This region contains a very low density gas of electrically charged particles and is the space around the Earth where many electric and magnetic phenomena happen.