Magnetic Declination curated by Patrick Alken

[JessicaH-ye]

Thank you! I am taking an archaeology class and I am trying to understand compasses and mapping. This was concise and helpful!!!

[bobkent]

The Earth's north magnetic pole is (currently) located in the Antarctic region and the south magnetic pole is in the Arctic. Although this seems backwards, it is a fact. A compass needle is a magnet. The end of the needle that points to geographic North is a north-seeking pole, which is itself by definition is a north pole. Since opposite poles attract, this compass north pole is attracted to the Earth's south pole located in the Arctic region of Northern Canada.
If you bring a permanent magnet's south pole near a compass, the compass north-seeking needle pole will point to it, confirming that like the permanent magnet's south pole,   the Earth's magnetic south pole -- in the Arctic -- attracts the same pointer.

[MirceaKitsune]

Is there an updated version of that chart / animation with the situation today? It's almost a decade old now, I would like to know how the situation has evolved.

[brockyboat]

Thanks! I'm using this for school, though it is a bit quiet (:

[allenheart]

Because of the coming micronova, declination is moving much farther, and much faster and so declination information is likely incorrect but there is still a way to recalibrate magnetic declination using the shadow of sticks recording the path of the sun---rotation of the earth has not yet changed. First stick will show East. Mark it with a sharp stick pushed in. After a few minutes you can mark sun shadow travel where the shadow has moved - Push another stick in to mark West. Lay a straight stick from the E mark to the W mark. Geographic north or True North is 90 degrees from the E-W line. With your compass pointing toward True North, note how far off your compass is now. That is your true up-to-date declination. My up-to-date declination is 30 degrees, 15 degrees off from the official declination for my area. More on micronova in my 2nd book, Surviving the Micronova: This Train Is on the Tracks is now available

[hfoxyroxy]

Now I have a very clear understanding thank you!

[jeremygillespie]

He didn't use the compass right...

[hhkck]

Quick question: At the very moment that the poles reverse, how quickly would this happen? This video shows that the speed of the change in location of the pole is very slow and very fast at seemingly random times (thus meaning, Deks, that the pole slowing up does not disprove a reversal), so I would think it possible for the poles to reverse instantaneously just as possible as it would be for them to reverse slowly over time. What is your take on this, NOAA?

[mikes]

i never seen a person stand at dead center magnetic north pole which the last time i checked was in Bathurst Island north of Hudson Bay in Canada. No matter where it is I never seen a person stand there!! Now that im looking for it its drifting all over the globe smh.

[Anthony-puyk]

Nice information and a very likely guy.

[WRND]

The turning structures of the molten underworld.

[policematrixx]

a molten core produces electricity? can we reproduce it in a lab?

[lukeandmich]

Thank you but this video is to quite. I have to put my air pods in just to hear the video. Thanks for your help

[ShawnSuttle]

This is pretty cool! I am still unclear on how they determined that there had been a pole reversal and that it was 750, 000 years ago.

[mikes]

I never seen a person stand at magnetic north pole never!!

[DeksZagreb]

Actually, there are estimates that in the last year the magnetic pole shift is slowing down, so these insinuations of a pole reversal seem just like attention seeking. Such pretentious publicism is something people would expect from news reporters but not from scientists, at least not serious ones. There is no indication a pole reversal might happen or that the magnetic pole might pass the geographic pole more than within rational tolerances. Thus the reason why you can't hear this guy loud&clear is because he can't say with confidence that there will a pole reversal right now or that it might happen in the near future.

[fahdh.a]

Alexander the Great found the sun falling in land locked heated water
Versus Alkahf in Quran