A report on the change of correction to International Magnetic Standard of the quartz horizontal magnetometers of the Geophysical Section of the Bureau of Mineral Resources during the period March 1951 to June 1952

During 1951 three separate sets of La Cour pattern Quartz Horizontal Magnetometers were received from the Danish Meteorological Institute. These instruments which are only semi-absolute, were calibrated at the Rude Skov Magnetic Observatory against the standard adopted by that observatory. As the Australian observatories are based on the International Magnetic Standard housed at Cheltenham near Washington, U.S.A. (hereinafter referred to as I.M.S.) it was decided to compare them against the Toolangi magnetometer as soon as possible after their arrival in Australia. Moreover, as the stability of these instruments depends on the torsion properties of a quartz fibre and on the magnetic moment of a magnet, regular comparisons should be made with an absolute magnetometer and the results used to control drift that might occur. The comparisons made immediately after the arrival of the instruments in Australia would thus constitute a starting point in the future control of the Q.H.Ms. [An account is given of work done between 1951 and 1952. Results are appended.]

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Published (Metadata Record) 04/03/2026
Last updated 04/03/2026
Organisation Australian Federal Government
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