On the 3rd of January 2019, 54 scientists arrived by car, train, and air to the University of Liverpool, with one thing on their mind: Magnetic Interactions. This rotating yearly event, now in its 3rd decade, brings scientists from the UK and Northern Europe together for 2 days of talks, posters, and networking over dinner.

The first day was focused on recent timescales and began with a tribute to Rod Wilson, the founder of the University of Liverpool Geomagnetism Laboratory, by the head of our laboratory, Prof Andy Biggin. Our first session covered the geophysics of the outer core: Geodynamo processes. Four fascinating talks covered both the actual motion of the outer core and its effects at the Earth surface. We then moved to the second session, in which models of the geomagnetic field were presented from four different perspectives. Immediately afterwards, out came the wine and up went the posters.

After hearing about everything from a new magnetometer system to new geodynamo models to new analysis programs on virtual posters, we reassembled at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral for a 4-course buffet dinner paid for by our generous sponsors.

The second day expanded our discussion backwards in time and outward into space. We started with our own Ben Handford, who took us back in time to the Triassic and Permian period to discuss its low magnetic field strength. The next talks took us through Earth’s history and then, after some much needed coffee, took us to outer space, where we heard about everything from the Lunar dynamo to nanometer-scale iron grains.

Finally, we gave a tour of the laboratory to half of the delegation, and then we all dispersed, not just for lunch, but also with a renewed drive to continue our research.

– by Michael Grappone