The north pole is moving. A team of researchers who maintain the World Magnetic Model (WMM) decided to release its updated results to the public because the speed with which the pole is moving is alarming. The updated model shows the magnetic north pole moving toward Siberia and away from Canada.
The magnetic north pole is how we find our way around using a compass. The north pole is the result of geological processes deep within the planet. Molten iron flow creates a magnetic field with poles near the geographic North and South Poles.
However, unlike the geographic poles, the magnetic poles can move and have been moving faster and faster in recent years. This alarming rapid movement of the poles prompted the researchers to release an early update of the WMM. The model is updated every five years, which means the next update is due in 2025.
The WMM is maintained by both the British Geological Survey and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The model’s purpose is to show precisely where the locations of the magnetic poles lie and how the Earth’s magnetic field appears. Satellites and over 150 land-based observatories provide data for the model.
The WMM plays a critical role in navigation because, in addition to GPS, militaries rely on it for a variety of navigational applications. However, the movement of the north pole shouldn’t have an impact on most people, as GPS applications on smartphones are likely to readjust, and runway markers at airports will be redesignated.
The researchers don’t know why the poles are moving, although some suggest that an underground jet stream of sorts causes it. The magnetic poles were discovered in 1831. Since then, researchers have tracked both poles, and the speed at which they move has been recorded. Since the north magnetic pole was first found, it has traveled a total of 1,400 miles and has increased in speed. In 2000, the rate was at 10 km/year, but the latest updates show it’s moving at 50 km/year.
