The US/UK World Magnetic Model for 2020-2025: Technical

Report,
 12 × 13

X Y Z
X Y Z H F I

D
X, Y, Z, H, F, I D
Figure 1: The seven elements of the geomagnetic field vector Bm associated with an arbitrary point in space.

X, Y Z
X Y Z F I D

D
 GVN GVS

= for > 55°

= + for < 55°

GVN GVS

D C

GV

GV GV
 GV

GV

GV
 ( , , , )= ( , , , )

( , , , )= ( ( ) cos( )+ ( ) sin( )) (sin )

N=
( , , )
( ) ( )
n m
( )

(n m)!
Pnm ( ) 2 Pn,m ( ) if m 0
(n m)!
Pnm ( ) Pn,m ( ) if m 0
 , ( )

1
P3,0 (sin ' ) (sin ' )(5 sin 2 ' 3)
2

3
P3,1 (sin ' ) (cos ' )(1 5 sin 2 ' )
2

P3, 2 (sin ' ) 15(sin ' )(1 sin 2 ' )

P3,3 (sin ' ) 15 cos 3 '

, ( ) ( )

, ( ) = ( 1) ( )

N=12

MSL, t hMSL
t
 h

)
r

p ( Rc h) cos
z ( Rc (1 e 2 ) h) sin

r p2 z2

' z
arcsin
r

= + x y z
x z
A, 1/f,
e2 Rc

A 6378137 m

1
298.257223563
f

e2 f (2 f)
 A
Rc
1 e 2 sin 2

( ) ( ) t
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

g nm (t) g nm (t 0 ) (t t 0 ) g nm (t 0 )
hnm (t ) hnm (t 0 ) (t t 0 ) hnm (t 0 )

= 2020.0
( ) ( ) ( )
( )

X Y Z

1 V
X '( , ', r )
r '
n 2 n
12
a m m d Pnm (sin ')
(g (t) cos m
n h (t) sin m )
n
n 1 r m 0 d '

1 V
Y '( , ', r )
r cos '
n 2 n
1 12 a
m(g nm (t) sin m hnm (t) cos m ) Pnm (sin ' )
cos ' n 1 r m 0
 V
Z ' ( , ', r )
r
12 n 2 n
a
(n 1) ( g nm (t ) cos m hnm (t ) sin m ) Pnm (sin ' )
n 1 r m 0

1 V
X ' ( , ' , r)
r '
n 2 n
12
a d Pnm (sin ' )
( g nm cos m hnm sin m )
n 1 r m 0 d '

1 V
Y ' ( , ' , r)
r cos '
n 2 n
1 12 a
m( g nm sin m hnm cos m ) Pnm (sin ' )
cos ' n 1 r m 0

V
Z '( , ', r )
r
12 n 2 n
a
(n 1) ( g nm cos m hnm sin m ) Pnm (sin ' )
n 1 r m 0

d Pnm (sin ' )

(n 1)(tan ' ) Pnm (sin ' ) (n 1) 2 m 2 (sec ' ) Pnm 1 (sin ' )
d '

X Y Z
 X X ' cos( ) Z ' sin( )
Y Y'
Z X ' sin( ) Z ' cos( )

X X ' cos( ) Z ' sin( )

Y Y'
Z X ' sin( ) Z ' cos( )

H, F, I D

H X Y F H Z I Z H D Y X

arctan( , ) tan ( / )
- -

X X Y Y
H
H

X X Y Y Z Z
F
F

H Z Z H
I
F

X Y Y X
D
H

GV D
 n m ( ) ( ) =

n m g nm (t 0 ) hnm (t 0 ) g nm (t 0 ) hnm (t 0 ) n m g nm (t 0 ) hnm (t 0 ) g nm (t 0 ) hnm (t 0 )

 X Y Z

= 0° X Y Z X Y Z

Y cos( )
( (sin ))/ cos >1
=1
=0 =1 1 12

6
 dip poles

geomagnetic poles
 model dip poles

eccentric dipole

r
Figure 2: BoZ refinement against legacy warning zones. BoZ and Caution Zone shown at epoch 2020.0 in the Northern (top) and
Southern (bottom) Hemispheres.
 < 2000

2000
< 6000
 X, Y, Z, H, F, I, D GVN
GVS
 X, Y, Z, H, F, I D

X, Y, Z, H, F, I D

X, Y, Z, H, F, I D

X, Y, Z, H, F, I D
 r t

r, t r, t r r, t

Secular variation
Figure 3: Current systems of the magnetosphere
Figure 4: Swam instruments. On each satellite, the scalar magnetometer is located at the top of the boom. The vector fluxgate
magnetometer is located mid-boom, about 1.6 m from them, and is co-mounted with the star imagers.
Figure 5: Locations of observatories whose data contributed to BGS parent model.

D I,
F

D I
X Y
EM

Em

/
= + sin
2
 / / /
= 0.33 + sin
2

1. DATA SELECTION

DATA CORRECTIONS

3. DATA WEIGHTING

4. USE OF EXTENDED PARENT MODELS

parent model
a priori
 x

x x
o
o

o
o

o
o

o
o

o
 commission

omission
 =

= 1/
 X
Y Z H F I D X
X
=
X

Y and Z
X Y Z
H F I D GV

Table 10: Formal commission errors at Earth's surface.

 GVN GV

GVS

GVN GV

Table 11: RMS differences at Earth's surface. These approximate the core field contributions to overall errors. Note increase in
error if model not updated every 5 years (rows 7 and 8).
Figure 6: Differences between WMM2020 and WMM2015v1 at mean Earth radius, at 2020.0. BoZ is shown as light grey areas
around dip poles in declination map.
Figure 7: Differences between WMM2020 and WMM2015v2 at mean Earth’s radius, at 2020.0. BoZ is shown as light grey areas
around dip poles in declination map.
Figure 8: Differences between BGS and NCEI final main field models at mean Earth’s radius, at 2020.0. BoZ is shown as light grey
areas around dip poles in declination map.
Figure 9: Differences between BGS and NCEI final main field models at mean Earth’s radius, at 2025.0. BoZ is shown as light grey
areas around dip poles in declination map.
 Figure 10: RMS differences between trackline data and WMM for years 2000-2014, sorted according to absolute corrected
geomagnetic latitude (Richmond, 1995), and corresponding number of data in each 10 degrees latitudinal bin.

GVN GVS
 GVN GVS

Table 12: RMS differences between observatory data and WMM for years 2000-2018 (rows 1 and 2) and for epochs 2000.0,
2005.0, 2010.0 and 2015.0 (row 3), after selection of observatories such that the RMS error on F is the same as that from trackline
data in the 10 to 50 degrees corrected geomagnetic latitude bin. Row 4 is obtained by subtracting row 3 from row 2 in
quadrature.
Figure 11: The locations of repeat stations, vector land surveys and observatories that provided data for model comparisons.
Maps show locations of data in the 5 year WMM period from each date shown.
 GVN
GVS

Table 13: RMS differences between observations and models in World Magnetic Model series since 1980, using all data (row 1) or
only data collected on the same year as the model epoch (row 2). Row 3 is obtained by rescaling row 2 values so that the RMS
difference on the F component is equal to 121 nT. (All components are rescaled using the same ratio.)
Table 14: RMS residuals, attributed to the external field, between observatory data and spline fits for each component and for
the years 2000-2018.

Figure 12: Variation with corrected geomagnetic latitude of the RMS residuals between observatory data and spline fits for the
various field components and for the years 2000-2018.
 0.01 + 0.30 + 0.22 = 0.37°

GVN

D, I GVN GVS H
F
Table 15: Estimated global RMS errors in WMM2020. Higher values of GV (compared to D) reflect the larger uncertainties of the
declination at high latitudes, the only regions where GV is defined. Higher values of GVN compared to GVS reflect the faster drift
of the north dip pole compared to the south dip pole.

X Y Z H F I D
 X Y Z
X Y Z

= 131 nT

= 94 nT

= 157 nT

X Y Z F I D H
F I D H X Y Z

= [( ) (cos ) + ( ) (sin ) ]

= [( ) (sin ) + ( ) (cos ) ]

= [( ) (cos ) + ( ) (sin ) ]

= [( ) (sin ) + ( ) (cos ) ]

= 128 nT

= 145 nT

= 0.21°

= (0.26) + (5625/ )
 H
5000 nT
0.30° 0.26°
(0.30) (5625/41802) = 0.30° = 41802 nT

H
5625 nT H

0.37° 0.42°

D 0.43°

X Y
Z H, F I D

Figure 13: Global distribution of the declination error provided by the WMM2020 error model. The color scale is limited to a
maximum value of 1.2°; the error becomes larger than this near magnetic poles.
X, Y, Z, H, F, I D

X, Y, Z, H, F, I D
 Handbook of Mathematical Functions with Formulas,
Graphs, and Mathematical Tables

J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics

Earth Planets Space,

Nat. Geosci
Foundations of Geomagnetism

Sensors and Actuators A

Phys. Earth Planet. Inter

J. Geophys. Res.

The US/UK World Magnetic Model for 2015-2020:

Technical Report

Space Sci.
Rev.

Out-of-Cycle Update of the US/UK World Magnetic Model

for 2015-2020: Technical Note

Earth Planets Space,

Product Specifications for Global Navigation and Planning

Charts
Performance Specification – World Magnetic Model (WMM).
 Earth Planets Space

Earth Planets Space

Table of Integrals, Series and Products

Physical Geodesy

Robust Statistical Procedures

Guide for Magnetic Measurements and Observatory

Practice.

Geophys. Res. Lett.

Geomagnetism

The development of the joint NASA GSFC and NIMA

Geopotential Model EGM96

Earth Planets Space

Earth Planets Space

Encyclopedia of Geomagnetism and

Paleomagnetism,
Earth Planets
Space,

Geophys. Res. Lett.,

Geophys. J. Int.,

Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst

 Geochem. Geophys.
Geosyst.

Geochem. Geophys.
Geosys.
The Magnetic Field of the Earth:
Paleomagnetism, the Core and the Deep Mantle
STANAG 7172 Use of Geomagnetic Models

J.
Geophys. Res

Earth Planets Space,

Earth Planets and Space

Geophys. J. Int

Introduction to Geomagnetism.

Earth Planets Space

Ann. Int. Geophys. Yr.

Geophys. J. Int.,

Geophys. J. Int

-
Earth Planets Space