Can this magnetic field be affected by glacial melt or glacial freezing (Ice Ages)? Or vice versa?
On a personal problem. I have an apartment in which there is a 5 volt current at the faucet emptying into the bathtub. Some people can feel it. I cannot. When we turn the whole apartment’s electricity off, there is still 5 volts at the faucet. Is this dangerous, is it safe to rent my apartment out??? Would you rent it knowing that info? What else can I do? This is the first complaint about that in 30 years. The house was shaken by the Mineral, VA earthquake in 2011.
You can charge your phone with that for free!
Have you verified this with a competent electrician?
The magnetic field is believed to be generated by differing rotation rates between the core, which is mostly iron and the mantle, so climate should have no effect on it that I could imagine.
1) Electric and magnetic fields can be influenced by temperature. For example in the winter if you leave your lights on your car battery will drain faster than in the summer.
Why? Because, materials that are classed as CONDUCTORS tend to INCREASE their resistance with an increase in temperature. INSULATORS however are liable to DECREASE their resistance with an increase in temperature. Materials used for practical insulators (glass, plastic etc.) only exhibit a marked drop in their resistance at very high temperatures. They remain good insulators over all temperatures they are likely to encounter in use.
This is also related to why they recommend you store batteries in the refrigerator when not in use. The insulator will increase it’s resistance with the lower temperature and limit a non-use discharge over time.
As to the faucet - two possibilities. 1) is there any heating tape/coil on any of the pipes to prevent freezing? If so then it could be one has been nicked or worn. 2) given the earthquake you mentioned it could be that there is an electrical wire that is loose/nicked/worn near the water pipe.
Do you have an outlet near the sink at all? Does it have a GFCI (ground fault current interrupter) on it at either the outlet or the circuit panel? Not that that is the cause, but it would possibly limit any dangerous current on the kitchen electrical line from becoming dangerous - standard code these days in most places.
Sounds like a NEUTRAL - GROUND issue.
NOTE WELL: they are not the same thing.
That said if you still have a measurable voltage when the building main (not simply the apartment)is disconnected from the source it has to be something else.
I have heard but never seen, that junk metal buried in the earth can produce a slight electric shock under some conditions.
Are the water supply lines nonmetallic?
Typically with copper or galvanized pipe, the faucet would be grounded. Not so with PEX or some others.
Also, the supply tubes from the stop(valve) to the faucet are often plastic.
If you run a wire from the faucet to a known ground does it still show voltage on a meter? Any sparks when grounding the faucet?
Guessing that it is a stray voltage from a poor ground or ground connection.
In some locations, the local power company will look at the problem.