The magnetic north pole is shifting again, moving closer to Siberia. This change comes with the release of the updated World Magnetic Model (WMM), which is crucial for navigation worldwide—affecting everything from ships and airplanes to the smartphone you use daily.
Magnetic north isn’t fixed like the geographic North Pole. Instead, it’s shaped by molten iron moving in the Earth’s outer core, creating a fluid magnetic field. This field influences navigation and even protects us from space weather.
Since its discovery in 1831 by explorer James Clark Ross in Canada, the magnetic pole has wandered thousands of kilometers. After drifting away from Canadian territory in the early 2000s, it’s been heading towards Russia. The pole’s movements have been unpredictable. In the 1990s, it sped up to about 55 kilometers per year, slowing to around 35 kilometers per year after 2015. By 2019, the discrepancies were so significant that scientists issued an unscheduled WMM update.
The updated WMM, crafted by the British Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is refreshed every five years to support GPS systems, aircraft, ships, and military operations globally. The latest models—standard and high-resolution—were released on December 17, 2022. The standard model has a resolution of about 3,300 kilometers, while the high-resolution version offers a precision of roughly 300 kilometers.
Consumer GPS devices typically use the standard model, but military systems and airlines will soon incorporate the latest data into their navigation software. Dr. William Brown, a geophysicist, notes that this update means recalibrating a vast array of complex navigation systems.
Predicting the movement of the magnetic pole poses challenges. Dr. Arnaud Chulliat from the University of Colorado Boulder explains that forecasts largely rely on extrapolating current data. The more time that passes, the more uncertainty builds into predictions. The new WMM indicates the magnetic pole will likely continue its slow drift toward Russia, at least for the immediate future.
Historically, the Earth’s magnetic field has changed dramatically. It has undergone complete polarity reversals, where the north and south poles switch places. Such events occur around every million years, with the last major shift happening between 750,000 and 780,000 years ago. During these reversals, the field can weaken, resulting in higher exposure to solar radiation and potential disruptions to satellite systems, radio communications, and even animal navigation.
Animals like whales and migratory birds depend on the magnetic field for their journeys. A sudden change could confuse their migratory routes. Dr. Brown suggests a significant reversal today would challenge engineers, but he hopes any changes would unfold gradually over centuries, allowing technology to adapt.
According to some recent studies, about 20% of people around the world rely on GPS technology for navigation. Any disturbances to this system—whether from magnetic shifts or other factors—underscore the importance of ongoing updates to geographic models.
With constant monitoring and research, scientists aim to better understand and predict the movement of the magnetic pole, ensuring navigation remains reliable for everyone. For more on this fascinating topic, you can check out the NOAA report here.
Check out this related article: Exploring the Fascinating Differences Between Young and Old Exoplanets: What You Need to Know
Source link