North Magnetic Pole Moving East Due to Core Flux

news.nationalgeographic.com

17 points·transburgh··8 comments

There is definite theoretical argument that the poles have completely switched polarity in the past. The truth is that the magnetic poles are always changing and moving and we can never be sure if they might switch completely.

That would cause chaos as we would have to adjust to the new North being the old South.

I doubt it would really be that bad. A couple software patches and we are all set.

I bet the patches are not even that much needed. All software that deals with magnetic North and its relation to geographic North can deal with nothing more than a new config file telling where magnetic North is this week.

Yep, the local deviations would just be 180° ± change instead of 0° ± change

Maybe true for newer software... older software might be harder to patch (but not necessarily hard).

Can anyone think of any physical devices that depend on magnetic north = geographic north in a mechanical (i.e. not software) way other than a compass?

There'll be CHAOS!

Think of all the boyscouts that will get lost without the use of a working compass! LOST I tell you!

The most obviously impactful part of the pole shift will be all the changes in migratory patterns as birds start migrating to the middle of the ocean or steppe.

Hmm, I wonder to what degree the military relies on old school compasses...?

Do they still teach kids about compasses these days? :)

There's also evidence of it, recorded in iron-rich lava in areas like the Transatlantic Ridge.

The thing to be concerned about isn't the flip itself, so much as that the fluctuations could lead to a period where the magnetic field isn't strong enough to deflect the solar wind. While it (most likely) wouldn't be permanent, it would be a pretty unpleasant period. :)

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