A non-extensive statistical physics approach to the polarity reversals of the geomagnetic field

Using the CK95 database of Cande and Kent (1995) 171, we apply the concepts of non-extensive statistical physics (NESP) to the time intervals between two consecutive geomagnetic reversals, called inter-reversal times. The application of NESM is appropriate to systems such as the geomagnetic field where non-linearity, long-range interactions, memory effects and scaling are important. We calculate the probability density function for the inter-reversal times and using the CK95 geomagnetic reversals and we estimate a thermodynamic q parameter of q = 1.5, which supports the conclusion that the geomagnetic system is a sub-extensive one with long-range memory effects. The results discussed using the complementary to the NESP approach of superstatistics which is based on a superposition of ordinary local equilibrium statistical mechanics, using a suitable intensive parameter beta that fluctuates on a relatively large temporal scale, leading to the conclusion that two degrees of freedom describe the process which generates the geomagnetic reversals. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.