地磁场的西向漂移和差动旋转

The westward drift is one of the most important characteristics of the secular variations in the main geomagnetic field. The drift exists not only in the main field itself, but also in the secular variation field of the main field. Based on the International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) models for 1900-2000 and the secular variation model for the period 2000-2005, the characteristics of the westward drift are studied in this paper on several aspects, such as, the bulk rotation and differential rotation of the main field, the dipersion of the drift rates, as well as the westward drift in the secular variation field. The bulk drift and its temporal changes in the main field are analyzed. The results show that the average drift rate during 20th century is 0.183°/α, and the transitions of the drift rate are closely related with the occurrence of geomagnetic jerks. The calculation of the westward drift at various latitudes reveals a latitudinal dependence of the westward drift rate, implying that the geomagnetic field rotates in a differential fashion, instead of rigid rotation. The maximum westward drift is found near the 15°<S, forming a Rapidly westward Drift Band (RDB), while the westward drift is the most slowest near theφ= ±(50°～ 60°), forming two Slow westward Drift Bands (SDB). In this paper, the dipersion of the westward drift rate is found by using both Briggs method and latitude section method. The westward drift in the secular variation field of the main field is also discussed in this paper. The results show that the westward drift rate in the secular variation field is much larger than that in the main field. The drift rate of the geomagnetic potential is proposed to represente the westward drift of the whole geomagnetic field, after comparing the spatial patterns, temporal changes, behavior of the westward drift and rationality between the geomagnetic potential and geomagnetic components X, Y and Z.