Weak-field ELF magnetic interactions: Implications for biological change during paleomagnetic reversals

Abstract

Contrary to the belief that paleomagnetic reversals are not biologically significant, we find good reason to think otherwise. Attention is drawn to polarity transitions, time intervals a few thousand years long that follow the collapse of the existing geomagnetic dipole moment and precede the establishment of the new, oppositely directed moment. The geomagnetic field during transitions is reduced to a maximal mean intensity about 10% of the stable field and can exhibit low-frequency perturbations comparable to numerous laboratory-based extremely low frequency (ELF) studies reporting biological interactions, making it very likely that similar interactions must occur over the course of a polarity transition. This conclusion is strengthened by reports of medical problems that significantly correlate with intense solar winds, events that also generate ELF perturbations similar to those that can occur during polarity transitions.

Keywords::

• ELF biomagnetic effects
• geomagnetic perturbations
• GMF diurnal rhythm
• polarity transitions
• solar wind bioeffect

Acknowledgements

The author is indebted to I. Y. Belyaev for first raising the question with him about possible biological effects during geomagnetic reversals. The author also thanks J. J. Love for a helpful discussion concerning the geomagnetic effects of solar activity, and F Barnes for his suggestions concerning the role of free radical recombination rates in ELF phenomena.

Declaration of interest The author reports no conflicts of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of the paper.