Everyone knows what a compass is and how it works. The needle placed in it interacts with the Earth's magnetic field, thanks to which, regardless of where you are or the time of day, the needle will align in a straight line between the magnetic poles and point north and south. However, not everyone knows that the Earth's north magnetic pole, unlike the geographic pole, often changes its position. Scientists have noticed that it has been doing this at an odd pace lately.
The north magnetic pole is moving. Scientists surprised
The magnetic north pole was first formally discovered in 1831 in northern Canada. To date, he has traveled approximately 2,250 meters km. In the 1990s, it drifted into the Arctic Ocean, then accelerated and headed toward Siberia. “The Independent” describes that in the years 1600-1990 he moved about 10-15 times km per year, and in the early 21st century it accelerated to about 55 km per year. And just when it seemed that the change in its position was gaining momentum, the pole slowed down.
Scientists from the British Geological Survey (BGS) have noticed that the movement of the north magnetic pole has slowed significantly over the past five years, to about 25 km per year. Such a slowdown has never been recorded before. It is not entirely clear why. “The Times” describes that a group led by Professor Phil Livermore of the University of Leeds theorized that the pole slowed down because it was caught between competing regions of magnetic force, one under Canada and the other under Siberia.
Why is the pole moving? “Big Ball of Molten Iron”
The pole's movement is caused by unpredictable fluctuations in the mixing of liquid iron, which makes up most of the Earth's outer core. – It is a large, chaotic and turbulent ball of molten iron orbiting the center of the Earth. Therefore, although we can monitor and observe the changes taking place, it is difficult to predict exactly how they will change, said Dr. William Brown, global geomagnetic field modeler at BGS, in an interview with “The Independent”.
Knowing the position of the pole is essential during navigationfor measurement and mapping, satellite and antenna tracking, and air traffic management. – The magnetic world model is present in virtually every piece of technology, from smartphones to cars and military jets – added Dr. William Brown.