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6694
From: Eve, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Earth’s magnetic pole is on the move, fast. And we don’t know why
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Earth’s magnetic pole is on the move, fast. And we don’t know why Earth’s magnetic field is what allows us to exist. It deflects harmful radiation. It keeps our water and atmosphere in place. But now it’s acting up — and nobody knows why. Planet Earth is alive. Deep beneath its skin, its life blood — rivers of molten iron — pulse around its core. And this mobile iron is what generates the magnetic field that causes auroras — and keeps us alive. But, according to the science journal Nature, something strange is going on deep down below. It’s causing the magnetic North Pole to ‘skitter’ away from Canada, towards Siberia. “The magnetic pole is moving so quickly that it has forced the world’s geomagnetism experts into a rare move,” Nature reports.  On January 30 (delayed due to the US Government shutdown), the World Magnetic Model — which governs modern navigation systems — is due to undergo an urgent update. This model is a vital component of systems ranging from geopositioning systems used to navigate ships through to smartphone trackers and maps. The current model was expected to be valid until 2020. But the magnetic pole began to shift so quickly, it was realised in 2018 that the model had to be fixed — now. “They realised that it was so inaccurate that it was about to exceed the acceptable (safe) limit for navigational errors,” Nature reports. FICKLE TIDES Every year, geophysicists from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the British Geological Survey do a check on how the Earth’s magnetic field is varying. This is necessary as the liquid iron churning in the Earth’s core does not move in a consistent manner. “In 2016, for instance, part of the magnetic field temporarily accelerated deep under northern South America and the eastern Pacific Ocean,” Nature reports. This shift was captured by satellites.  RELATED: Something weird’s happening deep beneath the South Atlantic But the movement of the north magnetic pole has been the object of study since 1831. Initially, it was tracked moving into the Arctic Ocean at a rate of about 15km each year. But, since the mid 1990s, it has picked up speed. It’s now shifting at a rate of about 55km a year. But another recent study has revealed the Earth’s magnetic field has been acting up now for some 1000 years. CORE OF THE MATTER Why the magnetic field is shifting so dramatically is unknown. “Geomagnetic pulses, like the one that happened in 2016, might be traced back to ‘hydromagnetic’ waves arising from deep in the core,” Nature reports. “And the fast motion of the north magnetic pole could be linked to a high- speed jet of liquid iron beneath Canada”. This fast-flowing molten river appears to be weakening the magnetic influence of the iron core beneath North America. EXPLORE MORE: How humanity survived a supervolcano “The location of the north magnetic pole appears to be governed by two large-scale patches of magnetic field, one beneath Canada and one beneath Siberia,” Phil Livermore of the University of Leeds told an American Geophysical Union meeting. “The Siberian patch is winning the competition.” And, as global warming opens up more shipping lanes to the north of Russia and Canada, this presents a potentially deadly problem. “The fact that the pole is going fast makes this region more prone to large errors,” says Arnaud Chulliat, a geomagnetist at the University of Colorado Boulder and NOAA. |
6697
From: ShakyD, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Earth’s magnetic pole is on the move, fast. And we don’t know why
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Looking at the plotted path in that post, magnetic north is within 5 deg of true north. That is the closest in over 100 years. For over 100 years, the magnetic north pole has been moving closer to true north and people freak out about it. Why? But if it continues on it's projected path it is about to pass it up on its way toward Russia. The magnetic south pole, on the other hand, has been moving away from true south for a long time. It is already more than 25 deg off. |
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6695
From: Eve, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Earth’s magnetic pole is on the move, fast. And we don’t know why
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This story reminded me of the Tampa International Airport near me where the lanes were changed due to magnetic pole movement in 2011. I never heard of it happening at other airports though but I don't follow all news that close. ~🌱~Eve -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shift in magnetic north pole affects... Tampa airport By DAILY MAIL REPORTER UPDATED: 21:37 EST, 6 January 2011 Runways at a Florida airport are to be given brand new numbers, but not for cosmetic reasons - the changes are thanks to movement in the Earth's magnetic field. Changes in our planet's core are causing the north magnetic pole to speed towards Russia at nearly 40 miles a year. But the affects of the magnetic shift are being felt over 3,500 miles south of the Arctic - at Tampa International Airport.  Magnetic makeover: Thanks to gradual shifting of the Earth's magnetic field, Tampa International Airport has to renumber its runway, with '19R' and '19L' taking over from '18R' and '18L' to reflect the magnetic shift The Sunshine State hub has been forced to shut down its primary runway until next week so that numeric designators at the end of runways and taxiway signage can be altered to account for the magnetic pole's movement. 'The magnetic poles actually shift, they are constantly in movement and when pilots align themselves with the runway they align their compass to the runway so they have to match,' said Tampa International Airport Director of Operations Robert Burr. 'So as the poles have shifted, the compass has shifted, so we have to make sure the runways are consistent with the compass for the aircraft.' The location of the magnetic north pole, most recently recorded at Ellesmere Island in northern Canada, remains a vital fact for compass users, even though satellite-powered global positioning systems have become commonplace. The magnetic shift may sound dramatic but its slow pace - and the comparative strength of the Earth's magnetic field - means people have little to fear. A complete inversion of the magnetic poles would have a greater impact, though its effects would primarily be limited to the animal kingdom, with birds choosing to fly south for the summer and north for the winter, and herding creatures confused over the ideal habitat. Global impact: The movement of the north magnetic pole, currently at Ellesmere Island, means a cosmetic change for Tampa airport, 3658 miles to the south Global impact: The movement of the north magnetic pole, currently at Ellesmere Island, means a cosmetic change for Tampa airport, 3658 miles to the south While most of us would be entirely unaware of the movement of the north magnetic pole, Tampa residents will feel its effects first-hand, as the airport changes will lead to more noise pollution. Tampa's busiest runway, the west parallel, is to be shut down for week, resulting in increased traffic on the east parallel runway and more noise for South Tampa residential areas. The repainted numbers will not seem especially different to airport passengers but will provide vital navigational information for incoming and outgoing aircraft. The west parallel is to be re-designated 19R/1L on aviation chart, from its current designation of 18R/36L. Its previous name indicated its alignment along a 180-degree approach from the north and the 360-degree approach from the south, with the '18' indicating it ran 180 degrees from north. The change to a '19' means the west parallel runway is now leaning slightly to the west. The airport's east parallel runway and its rarely-used east-west runway will also be closed later this month to alter their signage to their magnetically-changed designations. The movement of the Earth's north magnetic pole towards Siberia are caused by rapid changes in the magnetism of the planet's core. The latest changes are the most dramatic in a century - the pole had been begun moving to the northeast at about 9 miles per year in 1904 but since 2007 has been racing towards Siberia by at least 35 miles each year. |
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6696
From: pamela, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Earth’s magnetic pole is on the move, fast. And we don’t know why
| Yes, I recall it very well. Prior to them announcing the problems and having to repaint the runways I had massive sea sickness/vertigo with vomiting. I was living in C Az at the time. So I will never forget it. The vertigo was so bad had to hold on to walls/furniture to walk. Many times it would take me to my knees. And I would hurl. I began taking sea sick medicine and that helped a bit. And then it all disappeared. |
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