The poles do not invert, but the magnetic field DOES MOVE: consequences

If you have never taken the time to study a master’s or doctorate in geomagnetism and you are not a fan of physics or astronomy either, we will explain it to you easily: the Earth’s magnetic field acts as a shield that protects the planet from solar rays, radiation, etc.

The importance of the Earth’s magnetic field is such that life as we know it could not exist. With this context, in DEBATE we will briefly explain a study carried out by scientists from the University of Michigan, United States: There are discrepancies between the different metrics on this protective layer. Does it moveor rather, it weakens and then regains intensity.

But, How does this affect life on Earth? What are or could be its consequences? What does it mean to weaken? We will see more about that in the following text.

Some time ago, the result of an investigation caused the media to publish, like a sea wave, that the the planet’s magnetic poles were reversinga news story that even had overtones of an apocalyptic movie, but is there any relationship with today’s topic?

Yes and no. Data collected by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) since approximately 1830, when the magnetometer was invented, indicates that the magnetic field has decreased in intensity about 10 percent.

There is nothing to worry about, for now at least, according to the USGS this does not indicate that it will reverse. They even predict that it will gain strength in the future.

“For all we know, it is possible that this field will strengthen at some point in the not too distant future,” quotes the scientific magazine ‘Muy Interesante’.

Important changes are coming

The study done at the University of Michigan, where satellite observations were compared with the International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF-13), concluded that, contrary to what was thought until now, the magnetic field is not at all symmetrical around the world. Just as we would imagine through a simple graphic reference.

“We assumed an almost symmetrical magnetic field between the north and south polar regions, but in reality they are very different,” explained Yining Shi, scientist at the educational center and co-author of the publication in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics.

Asymmetry between Earth’s north and south poles creates biases that exaggerate the differences between models and reality. Nothing is what it seems until now.

“Understanding that what has been attributed to geophysical disturbances is actually due to the asymmetry of the Earth’s magnetic field will help us create better geomagnetic field models, as well as satellite and aviation navigation,” said Professor Mark Moldwin, also co-author of the research.

The magnetic poles deviate and advance towards Siberia at a speed of about 45 kilometers per year. Understanding magnetic field asymmetry will help create better models for satellite navigation and aviation.

The above is important because satellites depend on accurate geomagnetic data for their correct operation and safe navigation.

I am Juan Pablo Chaidez Aispuro, a graduate in journalism from the UAS who life led to specializing in content creation to generate traffic on different channels. Since I was a child I liked the news and being informed; today, I consider myself more of a publicist. I gained some experience in the Noroeste sports area and as a radio reporter at Informativo Puro Sinaloa. In 2020 I joined the ranks of DEBATE, months later I became a Web Editor at Debate.com.mx. I am a learner and passionate about music, I am also fascinated by photography, travel, gastronomy, technology, astronomy, multiplatform content creation and helping whoever possible with my work. I always have my sights set on the highest, but family and real friends come first.

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