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Magnetic north shifting by 40 miles a year, might signal pole reversal
The magnetic pole is moving faster than at any time in human history, causing major problems for navigation and migratory wildlife.
Mon, Mar 07 2011 at 3:35 AM
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POLE POSITION: Magnetic north is moving so fast that it is hampering navigation. (Photo: Calsidyrose/Flickr)
The magnetic north pole is currently shifting at a faster rate than at any time in human history — almost 40 miles a year — and some experts believe that it may be the beginning of a complete pole reversal, according to the Independent.
The changes are beginning to cause major problems for aviation, navigation and migratory animals that use the Earth's magnetic field to orient themselves. Some airports have had to change the names of their runways to better correspond to their current direction relative to magnetic north.
Ever since the magnetic north pole was first discovered in 1831, geologists have been tracking its progress. Unlike true north (which is marked by the Earth's axis), magnetic north is constantly on the move due to changes in the planet's molten core, which contains iron. Throughout most of recorded history, the pole has been positioned at or around Canada's icy Ellesmere Island, but if it keeps moving at its current rate, it won't be long before it sits above Russia instead.
The thing that really makes the pole's current movement so unusual, however, is the speed that it is shifting. In the last decade alone, movement has increased by a third, throwing off compasses by roughly 1 degree every five years.
Changes that fast have already caused major headaches for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Tampa International Airport in Florida has just spent a month renaming all of its runways, which are named after the degree at which they point on a compass. Similar changes were recently made to runways at Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach, and across the country runways now need to be renamed at least once every five years.
The shifting pole may also become a grave concern for migratory wildlife, such as birds, turtles and other sea creatures that use Earth's magnetic field to navigate over great distances. It's unclear if these animals are capable of recalibrating their navigational instincts to compensate for the changes.
The rapid shifting of the pole's position has prompted some experts to speculate that the Earth's entire magnetic field may be preparing to "flip," whereby all compasses invert and point south instead of north. It may sound radical, but in geological time, pole reversals are relatively common. Though they typically occur once every 400,000 years or so, it's been 780,000 years since the last flip.
Scientists disagree on how a pole reversal would effect ecosystems around the world, but some alarmists warn of a planet-altering catastrophe, whereby earthquakes and monumental tsunamis threaten the Earth for decades. Though such radical doomsday prophecies cannot be completely ruled out, the vast majority of scientists are tempered by calmer predictions.
"Reversals typically take about 10,000 years to happen," said Jeffrey Love of the U.S. Geological Survey. "And 10,000 years ago civilisation did not exist. These processes are slow, and therefore we don't have anything to worry about."
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I have a little compass on my desk which I keep an eye on, it is taped to my desk. Yesterday evening I noticed that magnetic north pole had shifted 10 degrees NNE. It is still pointing there now. Comet Elenin? CERN's black hole at the north pole? HAARP and the Fukushima? Makes you wonder.
The heat depends on where the Sun is. If the poles do flip the tilt will come back the other way.
I highly doubt the flipping of the poles will change the temperature at the poles. The earth itself isn't changing position. The magnetic field is. Which means Canada will still be cold. And the equator will still be hot. But hey. If It does get hot for Canadians just imagine how beautiful Canada will look will stuff growing 365. And the nice fresh water. Ontario will look like an oasis.
We have a molten core because of the sun???? Clearly the sun is not the only thing that heats the earth. Just saying.
We have a molten core because of the sun???? Clearly the sun is not the only thing that heats the earth. Just saying.
We have basically sucked all the oil out the engine and are overheating it. Global warming will have more consequences than just rising oceans and crazy whether. It only makes sense that the lava will heat up and cause valcanos and quakes. A coule degrees might not sound like much has major consequences.
Aborigines have been here well over that
in 1972 I was stationed at the south pole(McMurdo station).We constructed the new south pole station approx.1.2miles from the existing station(built 50+yrs ago).It is now burried underground and they've built a new station to keep up with the true south pole.
What kind of paranoia cool aide are you people drinking? I have never seen so much stupidity on any site. Get out of your mama’s basement and go enter the real world. It is just Mother Nature doing her thing. It is nobody’s fault. There is no one to blame. It is not some conspiracy started by Russian and the US. It is just is. You all need to get a life.
Thanks for providing a link back to the image on my Flickr account for the image used to illustrate this article.
Well said
Well said
Yeah! Lets ban fossile fuels and anything else that brings energy to force us all to live like caveman. Thanks for ruining progress!
It's one thing to regulate fossil fuels which I agree with but to ban them completely when we need the energy the most is a total joke and people like you need to be put on a one way train to Siberia.
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