The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology has sounded the alarm: The magnetic north pole is moving too fast. Here’s why.
Magnetic North Pole – travels.nanopress.it
News that we can call alarming is the subject of a recent study by Ingv, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research. The north pole of the Earth’s magnetic field is moving faster than usual. While the geographic pole has a fixed position, the magnetic pole changes over time. This time, however, his movements appear to be well above the assumed average.
satellite observations
The change was observed through Monitoring of the European Space Agency’s Swarm satellites. The Swarm Surveys not only determine the updated real-time position of the poles, but also analyze their dynamics over time.
This type of measurement has been used since the mid-1960s. The earth is a giant magnet whose field varies depending on conditions. It was therefore necessary to measure its variations in order to be able to predict future ones. This update usually takes place every five years.
The magnetic north pole is moving too fast
Since the first measurement in 1830 the magnetic north pole traveled 2,250 kilometersgradual increase in speed from 15 to 50/60 km per year.
Graphic representation of the magnetic pole – Viaggi.nanopress.it
Currently, this pole is 350 kilometers from its counterpart, while the South Pole is almost 2,800 kilometers away. The former moves at a speed of about 37 to 72 kilometers per year, while the South Pole is about 5 to 9 kilometers per year away.
Well, according to Ingv, the North Pole would move towards Siberia after leaving the territories of Canada. This shift would have already been known to scientists thanks to the World Magnetic Model, which is none other than the model used for terrestrial navigation. The confirmation came thanks to the measurements of the Swarm satellites.
North Pole and South Pole
Domenico di Mauro, researcher at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, He explained that the research team could determine the position of the magnetic poles as if measurements collected on the ground had been taken.
In fact, scientists have used techniques and algorithms to make the measurements, projecting the data collected at high altitudes onto the Earth’s surface. This would be a type of measurement used for the first time since exploration of the Earth from space began.
Magnetic North Pole – travel.nanopress.it
The observations indicate this The North Pole is moving toward Siberia at a rate of 37 to 72 kilometers per year. In practice, it would be moving eight times faster than the South Pole, which is moving more slowly toward the open ocean.
What will happen?
DR Stephanie Lepidi, Ingv researcher commented:
“Magnetic poles correspond to points where the magnetic field is exactly vertical and moves in unpredictable ways.”
Of course, many wonder why the Pole is so unpredictable. First, it’s important to understand that at least one-fifth of the Earth’s outer core is made up of liquid iron. Its rotational movements generate the electric currents that create the Earth’s magnetic field while also causing its periodic fluctuations.
Monitoring these movements is very important to keep the navigation systems up to date. There must not be too much difference between the forecasts and the actual positioning, since there would be a risk, for example, of throwing aircraft off course.
This data is in fact included in the navigation systems, but not only, also in the online maps that we also consult from our phones. Researchers are also currently working to identify the reasons for this acceleration.
One of the hypotheses would be another pole reversal. In fact, over the years it has happened that the North Pole has gradually moved towards the opposite hemisphere due to a weakening of the magnetic field. At the same time there was a shift from the south to the north.
A second hypothesis would instead tend to consider this phenomenon as being confined solely to something local and not to the magnetic field considered in its entirety. For the time being, the measurements do not detect these anomalies in other regions of the earth.