An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

A geophysical event, distinguished from the → magnetic reversal, in which the Earth's magnetic field departs for a relatively short time from its usual near axial configuration, without establishing a reversed direction. During the excursion the intensity and direction of the Earth's magnetic field undergo drastic changes. Palaeomagnetic measurements have revealed that since the last full reversal the Earth's magnetic field has, for brief intervals, deviated from the behavior expected during "normal" secular variation.

→ geomagnetic; → excursion.