Scientists have long known that the earth’s magnetic north pole is moving, but they are now noticing that this is happening more rapidly than in the past. A recent article on the CNN website covers how scientists are reporting that the magnetic north pole is now moving towards Russia more rapidly than anticipated. The magnetic north pole, as opposed to the geographic north pole, is what compass needles around the world are drawn towards, and it has been slowly moving across the arctic regions of Canada towards Russia since 1831. The increased pace of movement was observed when data from satellites contradicted simulation models.
World Magnetic Model
Because the recent movement is happening more rapidly than anticipated, at a rate of 34 miles per year, scientists are updating the World Magnetic Model, which is the standard for navigation systems, a year ahead of schedule. Normally, the standard is changed every five years, the last being in 2015, but scientists want the current standard to reflect the increasing pace of change. While the model is used by both the navigation apps of both Apple and Google, the changes will only affect users north of 55 degrees latitude.
Reasons for the change
The magnetic north pole is a by-product of the electrical field created by the liquid iron and nickel outer core of the earth. As the liquid shifts, so does the magnetic north pole. There is disagreement over why this movement is happening more rapidly than in the past, and some scientists think that the north and south poles are slowly changing position while others believe that a jet stream of molten liquid is heading north.
In any event, scientists say that the process is natural and that there is little cause for alarm. While the increased rate of change may be notable by human historical standards, by geological standards it is not.
