Pole Shift

[All Seeing Eye]

North Magnetic Pole Moving Due to Core Flux

Richard A. Lovett in San Francisco for National Geographic News

December 24, 2009

Earth's north magnetic pole is racing toward Russia at almost 40 miles (64 kilometers) a year due to magnetic changes in the planet's core, new research says.
The core is too deep for scientists to directly detect its magnetic field. But researchers can infer the field's movements by tracking how Earth's magnetic field has been changing at the surface and in space.

Now, newly analyzed data suggest that there's a region of rapidly changing magnetism on the core's surface, possibly being created by a mysterious "plume" of magnetism arising from deeper in the core.
And it's this region that could be pulling the magnetic pole away from its long-time location in northern Canada, said Arnaud Chulliat, a geophysicist at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris in France.

Finding North

Magnetic north, which is the place where compass needles actually point, is near but not exactly in the same place as the geographic North Pole. Right now, magnetic north is close to Canada's Ellesmere Island.
Navigators have used magnetic north for centuries to orient themselves when they're far from recognizable landmarks.
Although global positioning systems have largely replaced such traditional techniques, many people still find compasses useful for getting around underwater and underground where GPS satellites can't communicate.
The magnetic north pole had moved little from the time scientists first located it in 1831. Then in 1904, the pole began shifting northeastward at a steady pace of about 9 miles (15 kilometers) a year.
In 1989 it sped up again, and in 2007 scientists confirmed that the pole is now galloping toward Siberia at 34 to 37 miles (55 to 60 kilometers) a year.
A rapidly shifting magnetic pole means that magnetic-field maps need to be updated more often to allow compass users to make the crucial adjustment from magnetic north to true North.

To read more click this LINK

I found this interesting. What happens if the move of the magnetic pole reaches to a point where it completely flips? What kind of effect would this have on the Earth?

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Well, the Top Gear Polar Challenge I watched this weekend might have ended differently.

 

[Alpha_Geek]

I found this interesting. What happens if the move of the magnetic pole reaches to a point where it completely flips? What kind of effect would this have on the Earth?

1. The Coriolis effect would be reversed, making your loo whirlpool swirl the opposite direction. This may make capturing particulate matter in the bowl difficult for those accustomed to the previous flow.

2. Due to the shift in magnetism, men would find their... ummm... unit would dress to the side previously left unoccupied in their trousers.

 

[iguana_tonante]

Yeah, Legend, curse those damned Poles all shifting to England stealing our jobs and thrashing the neighbourhood... mmh, what are we talking about again?

 

[UssGlenn]

^ ha ha. but, seriously, this has happened many times in the geologic history of earth. Hopefully the worst that will happen is we have to learn to follow the non painted end of the compass north. I think the migration patterns of birds will be thrown completely out of whack as well if it is true that they use the earth's magnetic field to migrate.

 

[Data Holmes]

^ ha ha. but, seriously, this has happened many times in the geologic history of earth. Hopefully the worst that will happen is we have to learn to follow the non painted end of the compass north. I think the migration patterns of birds will be thrown completely out of whack as well if it is true that they use the earth's magnetic field to migrate.

Anyone notice an ever increasing number of whales and other see life beaching themselves in the last few years?

 

[sojourner]

Yes, I saw the Prince of Wales beached just the other day.

 

[SilentP]

I'm guessing in the meantime, the location of the Auroras borealis and australis will shift over time as well.

 

[Mark de Vries]

In Soviet Russia, magnetic north comes to you!

I can't believe no one has said that yet.

 

[Jadzia]

I found this interesting. What happens if the move of the magnetic pole reaches to a point where it completely flips? What kind of effect would this have on the Earth?

In the past, the effect hasn't been earthwide. We would expect patches on the earth emanating a northern field, and other patches emanating a southern field. Even now, the magnetic field isn't uniform, which makes the global field weaker when measured at distance from the earth:

If I remember correctly, the effects would be a reduction in the magnetic shield that protects us from ionised solar radiation. As these charged particles bombard our atmosphere, it would likely create electromagnetic disturbances, like radio waves and interference, and possibly cause damage to sensitive electrical equipment. The weather might be affected too.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

If I may ask, where did you obtain that image?

 

[Data Holmes]

Anyone read that news about how the San Francisco sea lions have moved 500 miles north to Oregon?

http://www.kgw.com/home/Sea-Lion-Exodus-81049272.html

 

[All Seeing Eye]

Anyone read that news about how the San Francisco sea lions have moved 500 miles north to Oregon?

http://www.kgw.com/home/Sea-Lion-Exodus-81049272.html

Yes read it thanks. Never considered it could have anything to do with this though, interesting thought!

 

[Jadzia]

If I may ask, where did you obtain that image?

google 'earth magnetic field map'

 

[Data Holmes]

Anyone read that news about how the San Francisco sea lions have moved 500 miles north to Oregon?

http://www.kgw.com/home/Sea-Lion-Exodus-81049272.html

Yes read it thanks. Never considered it could have anything to do with this though, interesting thought!

Just another example of marine life changing patterns.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/baffling-rise-in-beached-whales-1353366.html

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/03/02/whale-rescue.html

Also birds are changing their migratory patterns. Many people are latching to the global warming as a cause, but it could be connected to this pole shift.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/10/eveningnews/main4791431.shtml

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/6255181.html

Then again, there is a chance that the shifting pole is connected to global warming... Which is when things get really interesting.

http://www.earths-magnetic-field-and-how-it-reverses-and-more.com/

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/01/13/magnetic-field-climate.html

http://www.appinsys.com/GlobalWarming/EarthMagneticField.htm

 

[tharpdevenport]

Maybe instead of looking at the ceiling constantly, once the poles shift, cats will stare at the floor constantly.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

I have a serious question and I hope the smart people here can answer it for me.

Could a massive solar flare/ejection hitting the Earth cause the Earths inner core to flip? For example would a solar flare of enormous magnitude possess a magnetic field?

So let's say the Earth is tilted away from the Sun so the southern pole is closest to the Sun than the North and the Earth is struck by a solar flare of south pole polarity would the Earths inner core attempt to repel against this solar flare causing it to spin/flip 180 degrees within the Earth?

If you place two magnets together with the same poles facing they will attempt to repel and spin around. So could a massive solar flare hitting the Earths southern region cause the inner core to repel and spin?

I would imagine if that happened the Earths mantle/crust would suddenly start moving in a different direction.

 

[tharpdevenport]

A flare that massive could break threw and hit the Earth, causing far worse death damage, I imagine.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

A flare that massive could break threw and hit the Earth, causing far worse death damage, I imagine.

I'm sure it would, but could a big enough flare cause the inner core of the Earth to flip?

 

[Jadzia]

Charged particles from the sun (and solar flares) are constantly being pushed around by the earth's magnetic field. And because of equal and opposite forces, the particles push back against the earth's core. So the core does feel those particles thrown out in flares, but we're talking different orders of magnitude.

Over centuries of time, that constant niggling little force might do something to the field. I don't know.