The influence of a stably stratified layer on the hydromagnetic waves in the Earth's core and their electromagnetic torques

TL;DR

This study investigates how a stably stratified layer at the top of Earth's outer core influences hydromagnetic waves and their electromagnetic torques, revealing significant effects on wave propagation and torque magnitudes.

Contribution

It provides a numerical analysis of the impact of a stable layer on core fluid waves and electromagnetic torques, highlighting the emergence of MAC-like waves and their potential influence.

Findings

Weak stratification marginally affects torsional Alfvén waves.

Stable layers promote MAC-like waves that interact with the core.

Electromagnetic torques can be several orders larger with a stable layer.

Abstract

Evidence from seismic studies, mineral physics, thermal evolution models and geomagnetic observations is inconclusive about the presence of a stably stratified layer at the top of the Earth's fluid outer core. Such a convectively stable layer could have a strong influence on the internal fluid waves propagating underneath the core-mantle boundary (CMB) that are used to probe the outermost region of the core through the wave interaction with the geomagnetic field and the rotation of the mantle. Here, we numerically investigate the effect of a top stable layer on the outer core fluid waves by calculating the eigenmodes in a neutrally stratified sphere permeated by a magnetic field with and without a top stable layer. We use a numerical model, assuming a flow with an m-fold azimuthal symmetry, that allows for radial motions across the lower boundary of the stable layer and angular momentum exchanges across the CMB through viscous and electromagnetic coupling. On interannual time-scales, we find torsional Alfv\'en waves that are only marginally affected by weak to moderate stratification strength in the outer layer. At decadal time-scales similarly weak stable layers promote the appearance of waves that propagate primarily within the stable layer itself and resemble Magneto-Archimedes-Coriolis (MAC) waves, even though they interact with the adiabatic fluid core below. These waves can exert viscous and electromagnetic torques on the mantle that are several orders of magnitude larger than those in the neutrally stratified case.