Turning Over of Earth’s Magnetic Field is Possible During Our Lifetime

Earth’s magnetic field

The Earth’s magnetic field continuously shifts with the passage of time. It is estimated that in a time frame of 200,000 to 300,000 years, it fully turns over between north and south. Therefore, the time for this shift is due. Scientists believe that this could happen within next 100 years, and it can change our lives in unforeseen ways.

Latest research

National Science Foundation funded a research project on this topic in 2004. According to which this reversal of Earth’s magnetic field takes almost 7,000 years to complete. However, some other scientists have differed on this during the last few years. They suggest that these shifts take place much quickly that it was believed. A team of scientists from U.S. and Europe have explained the faster changes in their study that got published in the Geophysical Journal International. The research suggests that 180-degree change in Earth’s magnetic field takes only 100 years to complete.

Evidence

The question arises here how these scientists found out the changes occurring in the magnetic field for such a long time. They tested the layers of volcanic eruptions that were deposited in a lakebed near Rome for over a time period of 10,000 years. Berkeley released a report which stated that the direction of magnetic field is frozen into the ash layers. This is a very reliable source to find out the details of the reversals especially their time to complete. One of the study author’s, Paul Renne, said that they don’t know whether the next reversal will take place as quickly as this one, but they also don’t know that it won’t take place.

The maps show how North Pole wondered around Antarctica about 789,000 years ago for many years before it flipped 786,000 years ago to the current orientation having the pole somewhere in Artic.

Changes occurring

Scientists are familiar with the fact that Earth’s magnetic field is changing. For example; we know that during last 200 years, North Pole has moved 600 miles. This summer three ESA satellites observed that Earth’s magnetic field is strengthening in some areas, and it is weakening in some areas. People also know that these changes are unignorably affecting our lives. One example is of the airports; they are compelled to rename and repaint their runways after compass direction due to this shift.

Problems

It is not shocking to know the flip is inevitable, and the complete reversal can happen earlier than expected. The study suggests how this reversal will practically affect the life on Earth. An example is of the weakened field which will cause humans to be more affected by the cancer causing rays; as a result, increase in cancer rate will take place. The effect of shifted field on the infrastructure will be tremendous as well. It will cause problems in sensitive systems and electricity grids.

The average life of a human being is too small to practically understand these changes. It is amazing to know the fact that many of us will not experience the magnitude of this shift; however, it is possible for some other human beings to witness it.

Turning Over of Earth’s Magnetic Field is Possible During Our Lifetime