The decrease in diurnal oxygen production in Elodea under the influence of high geomagnetic variability: the role of light, temperature and atmospheric pressure.

The aim of this experiment is to monitor any influence of GMF on oxygen production in a natural exposure environment. This experiment tests a hypothesis that changes in diurnal variability in the geomagnetic field affect diurnal oxygen production in plants. This may be the first study to test this hypothesis, using Elodea, a freshwater plant. Continuous 24 hour measurements of dissolved oxygen in flasks containing Holtfreiter’s solution and strands of healthy Elodea, were recorded from May 1996, until September 1998, in an electromagnetically quiet, purpose built, garden shed environment, without mains electricity. The coordinates of this site were Latitude 50 degrees 59 minutes N, 0 degrees 7 minutes 56 seconds E (South East UK). Sensormeter recordings of oxygen, light, temperature and air pressure, were uploaded weekly to a PC. The hourly total geomagnetic field measurements were obtained from the nearest observatory. A Clarke type oxygen electrode was used for monitoring dissolved oxygen. The file xls.1 contains raw data used in cross correlation analysis for figures 3a, 3b and 3c. This involves hourly and sub-hourly data for 21 days in 1997 and 1998 of high geomagnetic field activity and 21 days of low geomagnetic field activity, and containing dates and hourly diurnal times . It shows the %oxygen, loglight and gmf readings. The file xls.2 contains data from 1997, showing all parameters monitored, and containing the dates for the diurnal monitoring used in the analyses for days of high, medium and low geomagnetic field activity throughout 1997. The data contains the mean diurnal standard deviations for the gmf, and the specific diurnal oxygen calculations (total diurnal % oxygen divided by total light (loglux) and dry plant mass), mean diurnal atmospheric pressure in millibar, mean temperature, lag in hours between peak light and peak oxygen, and relative moon phase.