by Scientists have discovered unexpected activity in the high Arctic as the North Magnetic Pole moves toward Russia in an unprecedented way.
Compass needles in the Northern Hemisphere point toward the magnetic north pole, and the location varies due to the changing contours of the Earth’s magnetic fields.
It is different from the geographic North Pole, also known as true north, which remains stationary at the intersection of all lines of longitude.
Dr. William Brown, a global geomagnetic field modeler at the British Geological Survey (BGS), explained: “It is a large, chaotic and turbulent ball of molten iron floating around in the center of the Earth that creates the size.”
“Although we can observe and see how it changes, it is quite difficult to predict exactly how it will change.”
The magnetic pole moved along Canada’s northern coast for centuries, Dr. Brown. In the 1990s it drifted into the Arctic Ocean, then accelerated and headed toward Siberia.
From 1600 to 1990 it is estimated to have moved about 10-15 km per year. In the early 2000s, the speed increased to about 55 km per year, said Dr. Brown The Independent.
The data comes from the World Magnetic Model, created by the British Geological Survey (BGS) in collaboration with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The model predicts the position of the pole at any point in time. The new model is scheduled to appear in December.
Over the past five years, the North Magnetic Pole has slowed significantly, to about 25 km per year.
The model helps guide a smartphone’s compass tools. It also contributes to GPS systems and is used by the military to navigate submarines through Arctic waters.
“The magnetic world model is embedded in pretty much every technology, from smartphones to cars to military jets,” said Dr. Brown The Independent.
The pole’s movement is caused by unpredictable fluctuations in the churning of the molten iron that makes up most of Earth’s outer core.
This liquid metal moves through the heat escaping from the planet’s core, creating the Earth’s magnetic field. The field and position of the magnetic pole are affected by variations in the vortex motion of this molten iron, which is located about 2,000 miles underground.
It is impossible to predict the exact movements, but the BGS can monitor the Earth’s magnetic field. The group uses a network of ground stations and satellites to map the field at various locations.
