Measurements of vector magnetic anomalies on board the icebreaker Shirase and the magnetization of the ship

Abstract

Vector measurements of the geomagnetic field have been made in the South Indian Ocean since 1988 when a Shipboard Three Component Magnetometer (STCM) was installed on board the icebreaker Shirase by the 30th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE-30). Twelve constants related to the ship's induced and permanent magnetic field were determined by the data obtained from the JARE-30 to the JARE-35. The constants related to the ship's magnetic susceptibility distribution are almost stable throughout the cruise and mostly depend on the ship's shape. On the other hand, the constants related to the ship's permanent magnetization are variable. However, absolute values of total intensity geomagnetic field calculated from vector geomagnetic field is possible to use, if the constraints from total intensity geomagnetic field measured by the proton magnetometer and/or satellite derived magnetic anomalies are applied.