We May Finally Know Why Earth’s Magnetic North Keeps Moving

Magnetic north keeps shifting, but we may finally know what’s causing it.

The Earth's magnetic north pole is shifting in two ways: It’s moving away from Canada and toward Siberia, and it is accelerating. In fact, it is accelerating so fast that we have had to update our models of Earth’s magnetic field ahead of schedule.

The reasoning behind why our magnetic poles move and flip has always been a mystery, until now.

A team of researchers from Leeds University think they have nailed down just what makes Earth's magnetic poles move: blobs.

The team from Leeds used 20 years of data collected by satellites, including ESA’s Swarm, and concluded that changes in flow at lower latitudes in Earth’s outer core have changed the magnetic flux, or the number of field lines, in two blobby areas.

Find out more about these blobs of magnetic flux in this Elements.

#earth #magneticfield #northpole #science #seeker #elements

Read More:
Recent north magnetic pole acceleration towards Siberia caused by flux lobe elongation
"The wandering of Earth’s north magnetic pole, the location where the magnetic field points vertically downwards, has long been a topic of scientific fascination."

Magnetic north and the elongating blob
"For some years now, scientists have been puzzling over why the north magnetic pole has been making a dash towards Siberia."

Scientists explain magnetic pole's wanderings
"European scientists think they can now describe with confidence what's driving the drift of the North Magnetic Pole."
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Seeker empowers the curious to understand the science shaping our world. We tell award-winning stories about the natural forces and groundbreaking innovations that impact our lives, our planet, and our universe.

[TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

Props to Seeker for consistently uploading for years now

[sussekind]

Magnetism is too confusing for me, it's just not my field.

[ilv]

"Russia is winning the magnetic war" - Now there's a clickbaity headline.

[AShroudOfTruth]

Because it's a natural phenomena, that's why. All planets have them, even the sun. It's not unusual. We just happen to be here as it's happening this time around - and it's occurred MANY times. Nothing you, I, we can do about it either. Rich and powerful building bunkers and hiding in caves won't help. Best to find a safe location. Ask geologist where those places might be. They know more than most, and less than a few.

[thefirstsin]

"The Russia is winning the tug of war of magnetic field"
*_Men, charge we shall win this waaar_*

[hallowfangz]

Dude looking at his notes then back at the camera like 👀—— 👁 👄 👁 —— 👀 love it

[mdonedo]

*SUSPICIOUS OBSERVERS*
LMAO THIS GUYS GUESSING!

[hawk]

I saw an experiment well over 20 years ago that showed exactly what he just explained. And we're just finding this out?
The other thing he did not touch on is that the magnetic field of the earth is much weaker than it has been in hundreds of years. It has been actually dropping for some time. And one would hope that if the spin of the interior of the Earth stabilizes that it will allow the magnetic field of the earth to once again strengthen to what it was about 400 years ago.

[MrEyesof]

You forgot, ..the geologic record dictates the north and south poles have about completely reversed at least 4 or 5 times we know of. As well you didn’t mention the earths core has asymmetrical outreaching plumes that may contribute to said wander.
Your not the only one avoiding the scary subject... at the North Pole we find layer after layer (encapsulated between the sheets of ice, ) trees and fauna that could have ONLY grown at the equator.
You could have at least mentioned solar input into earth’s electromagnetic circuit. Like a cameo or something..
I mean after all it responsible for the Chicago fires and those surrounding 2-3 largest forest fires ever on record no one has ever heard of,
that hppened to start
AT THE EXACT SAME TIME!!
This stuff is scary, I get it, honestly I do, but it doesn’t then mean you should be all playschool about it.

[autumnicleaf]

If Russia is capturing the north Pole, and Canada is letting it happen, do the Poles fight back and return all the Poles back to Poland?
It's a new king of geopolitical game but Poles are pole vaulting away from it.

[bevanwilson]

One thing I have always wondered is how come the molten iron core creates the magnetic feild when a steel object when heated above around 680ish degrees centigrade into its austinitic state becomes non magnetic?

[zsoltkarner]

Bud, you are far from what's going on !

[rossbrumby]

Computer models haven't worked at all so far for "climatologists", why should they work for other things? Or does it have something to do with inputting facts to the program as opposed to "climate data"

[tommurphy]

The pole that really matters is the axis of rotation of the Earth. If that shifts, it could mean a climate shift. This probably also depends on shifting magma or thickening/thinning of Earth's crust.

[nathanielanderson]

I don't know if you guys have a theory. But this is what I believe. I believe that heavy elements in the core of the earth, heat up and build pressure over time, due to friction. This is also what causes our magnetic field. As more of the polar ice melts, the mass of the earth is distributed more in the center, and less at the polar regions. This causes gravity to shift, and the earth's plates to start to move in order to obtain a gravitational balance.
This causes more friction, and heating up of the mantel. As more of the lower layers of the earth start to move around they become more fluid, pressure builds up, and more volcanic activity starts to become more frequent so that pressure is released.
Sizemic waves also cause movement of the earth's crust, and the plates. But the heavy elements in the middle start to shift, and this is what causes the polls to shift. Iron is just one of earth's heavy elements. Other heavy metals also generate magnetic field's. The friction of all the molten masses of heavy metals, causes electric particles to have charge. As the mass of materials in the center of the earth changes its position, the polls follow.

[dankulafan]

I wonder what Santa would do with all of this?

[DooBees-ubme]

Molten iron isn’t magnetic, the poles probably move due to the solidification of major iron masses closer to the cores edges that were once molten, and over time they under go reheated again as the molten core shifts or moves ever so slightly over time

[slehar]

Terminology: Call the N end the "North SEEKING pole", and the S the "south SEEKING" pole, the ambiguity disappears.

[retrocdtv]

1:54
Teacher: You got that?
Me: No
Teacher: Alright moving on.

[ReALliFenOw]

Magnetic pole trying to leave 2020 too