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Earth's Magnetic North Pole Rapidly Shifts Toward Russia

The accelerating movement of the magnetic north pole challenges scientists' ability to predict its future path.

Overview

  • The magnetic north pole has moved approximately 2,250 kilometers from Canada toward Siberia since the 1830s.
  • The pole's movement accelerated from 15 kilometers per year in the 1990s to 55 kilometers annually in the early 2000s, before slowing to 25 kilometers per year in recent years.
  • This shift is driven by the chaotic flow of molten iron in Earth's outer core, which generates the planet's magnetic field.
  • The British Geological Survey and other organizations monitor these changes using global geomagnetic observatories and the World Magnetic Model.
  • Scientists caution that predicting the pole's future movements is difficult, requiring regular updates to navigation systems like GPS.