The drifting of the magnetic north pole is causing concern among scientists. The current magnetic field model places the magnetic north pole east of the prime meridian.
The earth’s magnetic North Pole has been shifting at an alarming rate and now scientists indicate that it has crossed the prime meridian. Over the last 20 years, the magnetic north pole has drifted from its original home in Arctic Canada and moved towards Siberia at about 34 miles (55 kilometers) per year.
Shifting of the magnetic north pole
The National Centers for Environmental Information and the British Geological Survey released the latest models of the earth’s magnetic field on December 11. The model shows that the drifting will significantly decrease over the next few years, covering a total of approximately 25 miles( 40 kilometers) per year.
The model used to estimate the drift is also used to calibrate GPS used for navigation. The Earth’s magnetic field is created by the churning of the earth’s outer Iron core in what many scientists speculate may be as a result of the inner workings of the planet. Scientists agree that the reason behind this drift in the earth’s magnetic north pole is due to the weakening of the magnetic field.
The data highlighting the strength of the magnetic field and if there is any drift is released every five years. However, this year they had to release an update in February, ahead of the planned 2020 data release due to fast clips of magnetic movements that were being observed.
Flip-flop of the poles yet undetermined
The 2020 data shows a blackout zone which will lead to compasses failing due to their inability to point at the true north pole. New maps are also showing a shift in the magnetic north pole which is now located east of the prime meridian.
There is still so much speculation about what is currently happening in the north pole. Scientists are still not sure if there will be a flip-flop of the poles where the poles will interchange. If that were to happen, the GPS and compass systems would have to be recalibrated since they use the north pole as a point of reference.
Featured image by Pixabay
