The magnetic North Pole has changed location as a result of the changing contours of Earth’s magnetic fields. Scientists have recently detected that, after five years of slower movement, the magnetic North Pole is headed towards Russia. The magnetic North Pole is not the North Pole that most people are familiar with—in fact, that is known as the geographic North Pole, or the true north, which remains stationary at the intersection of all longitude lines.
While movement of the magnetic North Pole has been tracked for years, a global geomagnetic field modeller at the British Geological Survey explained that “while we can monitor and see how it’s changing, it is quite difficult to predict exactly how it will change”. This is due to the fact that “it’s a big, chaotic and turbulent ball of molten iron going around in the middle of the earth that generates the magnitude”. The movement of the magnetic pole was primarily along the northern Canadian shore for centuries and later drifted into the Arctic Ocean in the late nineties. Since the late nineties, the movement has accelerated and headed towards Siberia.
The pole’s movement is caused by unpredictable fluctuations in the churning of the molten iron which makes up the majority of the Earth’s outer core. This liquid metal moves due to the heat escaping from the planet’s core, creating the Earth’s magnetic field. Variations in the motion of this liquid metal impact the field and the location of the magnetic pole, despite the molten iron being 2000 miles below ground. Data shows that from 1600 to 1990, the magnetic pole moved approximately 10–15km a year, and sped up in the early 2000s to around 55km a year.
The British Geological Survey worked in collaboration with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to track the movements of the magnetic pole and provide estimated models for future movements. The collected data comes from the World Magnetic Model, which forecasts the location of the pole at any given time, with the latest model set to be released in December. The model contributes to GPS systems and is used by the military to navigate submarines across Arctic waters. Additionally, the model assists in guiding a phone’s compass tools. This means that “the world magnetic model is embedded in pretty much any piece of technology, from smartphones to cars and military jets” and is an essential part of navigation through technology.
Despite the sped-up movement in the early 2000s, the last five years have seen a significant slowdown in movement, to about 25km a year, which is why scientists are surprised at the magnetic pole’s current movement towards Russia. Exact movements are nearly impossible to predict, but the movement of the Earth’s magnetic field can be and is currently monitored. The collaboration between the British Geological Survey and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration utilises a network of ground stations and satellites to map the field in different locations.
The latest model which will be released in December is something to watch out for, as it will make clear the speed of the movements, as well as the general direction.