Typhoon-Induced Magnetic Disturbances: Cases in the Western Pacific

Abstract

Three typhoons occurred over the western Pacific in September 2008 and were enhanced beyond category 3 as they approached Taiwan. The geomagnetic total intensity field recorded at 2 local monitoring stations in Taiwan and 1 remote station in Japan was utilized to examine the magnetic disturbances induced by these typhoons. Analytical results show that amplitude changes in the frequency domain, which are retrieved from the total intensity data via the Fourier transform, at the monitoring and remote stations were consistent, even though magnetic storms strongly affected the magnetic field. However, obvious discrepancies were repeatedly found in the amplitudes in the frequency band between 0.0025 - 0.007 Hz, when typhoons of category > 3 were the closest to the monitoring stations. The frequency band is different from the induction fields from either oceanic storm waves or swells, and is consistent with that of magnetic pulsations triggered by acoustic waves from upward air motion during typhoons.