A Second Generation Gough-Reitzel Magnetometer

GOUGH and REITZEL (1967) gave details for the construction of a classical magnetometer which is highly suitable for field operation and can be built in large numbers on a low budget. Thirty instruments of this basic design have been built at the University of Munster. However, some alterations were incorporated, the major of which resulted in a smaller energy consumption (≤12mW), extension of the unattended running period to 70 days (sampling rate of 10s), and a timing accuracy of ±1s per week (on average). The drift of the instruments is estimated to be less than 1/2 nT per day for each component and the temperature variations, recorded in the tube approximately 1.30m below the ground surface, are ≤0.2K per day which does not contaminate the records. The data from several array studies have confirmed the confidence placed in the instruments.