Simulating 2 Ga of geodynamo history
The paleomagnetic record indicates the geodynamo has been active over much of Earth history with surprisingly little trend in paleointensity. Variability, however, is expected from models that predict a sharp increase in intensity following inner core nucleation (ICN) and implied by Neoproterozoic anomalies that hint at a highly variable field over several hundred million years. Here we demonstrate with a suite of numerical dynamos driven by a new thermal evolution model that the geodynamo could have transitioned from a multipolar to dipolar regime around 1.7 Ga, then to a weak field dynamo around 1.0 Ga, and finally to a strong field dipole following ICN around 650 Ma that is maintained to the present day. The occurrence of a weak field geodynamo in the Neoproterozoic may be consistent with the observed anomalous apparent polar wander paths and reversal behavior. Recovery to a dipolar geodynamo in the Phanerozoic could be a signature of inner core nucleation. Index terms: 1507, 1560, and 1521.