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Earth’s Magnetic North Pole Is Shifting Toward Siberia and Raising Questions About Unusual Movement
Scientists released an update to a model that maps the ever-moving pole and has significant implications for navigation systems
For decades, Earth’s magnetic north pole has been slowly drifting across the Arctic, but recent shifts in its path have caught the attention of scientists—and those who rely on precise navigation systems. The magnetic north pole’s movement, which has suddenly accelerated toward Siberia this century, raises questions about what’s driving the unusual shift and why its motion matters.
The magnetic north pole is distinct from the geographic North Pole, a fixed point where the Earth’s axis meets its surface. Instead, magnetic north is the changing location where the planet’s magnetic field lines converge. This field is generated by the churning of the planet’s outer core, a layer of molten iron and nickel that begins roughly 1,800 miles beneath Earth’s surface. As the fluid dynamics of the core change, the magnetic pole shifts over time in a process known as the geodynamo. Now, something unusual seems to be happening.