Calibration of Magnetometers

Calibration of magnetometers

For the calibration of magnetometers we determine the main technical parameters of the device. We can adjust the instrument also if it is required and possible.

Scope and field of application: An important part of the observatory practice is the calibration of different instruments. The precision of the calibration procedure depends on how reliably the technical level of the reference instruments and the measuring methods are ensured. Tihany Geophysical Observatory has been a member of the INTERMAGNET network more than 25 years. As a consequence, the accurate procedures of the geomagnetic measurements are permanently fulfilled.

The accuracy of the calibration in the case of the most relevant instruments:

Nuclear scalar magnetometers

- check of absolute accuracy: ± 0.2 nT

Three-component fluxgate magnetometers

- determination of the scale factors with a precision of 99% in the range of ± 50 μT
- determination of the orthogonality errors of the sensors within ± 1 arc minute
- determination of the offset values within ± 1 nT accuracy
- determination of the orientation of the sensors in a geodetic reference frame within ± 1 arc minute
- frequency transfer characteristics measurements

Absolute inclination and declination measurements performed by DIM device

- determination of the scale factor with a precision of 99% in the range of ± 200 nT
- determination of the misalignment errors of the sensors within ± 5 arc second
- determination of the offset values within ± 1 nT accuracy
- check of absolute accuracy: ± 1 nT

Further tests:
–  measurement of magnetic parameters of coil systems
–  temperature tests on magnetometers
–  calibration of devices for measuring the magnetic declination
–  magnetic impurity measurements of different devices (for example drill bits)

Products:
We provide both a certification of the calibration and a report on the result of our measurement.

References:
–  MINGEO Kft.
–  http://agp2.igf.edu.pl/agp/files/C-99/Csontos_et_al.pdf
–  http://iaga_workshop_2012.roa.es/IAGA%20Extended%20Abstract%20Volume.pdf (pp. 42-45)

Contact:

Tihany Geophysical Observatory (Division of Geophysics and Observatories)
András CSONTOS - csontos.andras@mbfsz.gov.hu
Balázs HEILIG, Ph.D. - heilig.balazs@mbfsz.gov.hu
Address: 8237 Tihany, Kossuth u. 91.
Phone: +36 87 448-501