Geophysical MASINT - Magnetic MASINT

Magnetic MASINT

A magnetometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the strength and/or direction of the magnetic field in the vicinity of the instrument. The measurements they make can be compared to signatures of vehicles on land, submarines underwater, and atmospheric radio propagation conditions. They come in two basic types:

• scalar magnetometers measure the total strength of the magnetic field to which they are subjected, and
• vector magnetometers have the capability to measure the component of the magnetic field in a particular direction.

Earth's magnetism varies from place to place and differences in the Earth's magnetic field (the magnetosphere) can be caused by two things:

• the differing nature of rocks
• the interaction between charged particles from the sun and the magnetosphere

Metal detectors use electromagnetic induction to detect metal. They can also determine the changes in existing magnetic fields caused by metallic objects.