Which End is Up?

True north is not to be confused with magnetic north.  True north is marked by the earth’s axis and magnetic north is where your compass points.  Located near Canada's Ellesmere Island magnetic north has for centuries been an aid to navigation.  

Because magnetic north is thought to be the result of the earth’s molten iron core it’s been known to move about a bit.   Between 1900 and 1980 it hardly moved at all.  In case you need something to worry about – in recent years it has picked-up the pace and has begun moving a lot.  The pole is moving approximately thirty miles a year – which is the equivalent of one compass degree every twelve months.  If this keeps up it’s going to end up in Russia! 

The World Magnetic Model was due in 2020 but the U.S. military was concerned enough that they requested an earlier review.  The results were supposed to be released last week but have been delayed until January 30^th as a consequence of the government shutdown.  So here we sit – the magnetic north pole is moving at the fastest rate known in human history and we don’t know for sure where it is because of the Trump shutdown.  This is a big deal if you are sailing a boat, flying an airplane, driving a car or out for a hike.  

This has implications for nature too.  Migratory wildlife use the earth's magnetic field to navigate their movements over vast distances.  Will they be able to compensate?  Or will they get lost?

Some scientists have suggested that the rapid movement of magnetic north may be evidence of the earth's magnetic field preparing to flip.  A flip would result in your compass pointing south or somewhere else.  Gack! 

The good news is that the last time the field flipped human civilization did not exist - no harm no foul. What the impact would be if it flips during our current advanced civilization is anybody's guess.  So if you cannot find me I'll likely be hanging out in my bunker.  

You can learn more about this phenomenon here and here. .