Did you know that the Earth itself is a colossal magnet? It might be difficult to see how this relates to the
block magnets or
disc magnets you use in everyday life, but they actually work in a similar way. Imagine you put a
bar magnet onto a table and drag it toward an iron nail nearby. Eventually, the nail would move toward the magnet and stick to it. That's because magnets have an invisible field around them. When in the presence of objects with unlike poles, they attract. Conversely, two magnetic items with like poles will repel one another.
As our planet contains molten iron and other magnetic materials in its core, it behaves in essentially the same way and is able to ward off some of the solar wind, radiation, and other potentially harmful space particles. There's just one problem: Every once in a while, an uncontrollable force will
shift the magnetic field so that it lines up in the opposite direction.
A historical trend
It's no secret that the Earth's magnetic pole moves with time. In fact, scientists have been aware of this for centuries. German mathematician
Carl Friedrich Gauss began keeping track of the magnetic field in roughly 1845, and Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen determined that it had shifted 50 kilometers by 1904. There are other transformations happening as well.
NASA Science News noted that compass needles in Africa have been moving
about 1 degree every 10 years.
Most concerning, though, is the fact that the magnetic field is 10 percent
weaker than it was in the 19th century. The problem with a fading magnetic field is that a potential collapse down the road would leave our planet exposed to more
cosmic radiation. That radiation would make the Earth's climate change in a drastic way that could be ultimately devastating for humankind. Experts say this could interfere with spacecraft communication systems, temporarily expand ozone holes in the atmosphere, and even knock out power grids. So should we be concerned? Professor Gary Glatzmaier, an Earth scientist and magnetic field expert at the University of California, told
National Geographic that these changes
may not be as severe as they sound.
"They're mild compared to what Earth's magnetic field has done in the past," he explained to the source.
In fact, while many creatures, including birds and bees, depend on the magnetic field for
migration, some researchers are confident that life on this planet will continue in the face of fluctuations. National Geographic reported that our planet's magnetic field increases and decreases all the time. They said it also reverses an average of once every 200,000 years, according to geologic records. However, the last time this flip occurred was nearly 780,000 years ago. So ultimately, Glatzmaier asserted that this collapse will not be an issue we face in our lifetime.
Rising concerns
Meanwhile, some experts suggest otherwise.
"This is serious business," Richard Holme, professor of Earth, ocean, and ecological sciences at Liverpool University told The Daily Mail. "Imagine for a moment your electrical power supply was knocked out for a few months - very little works without electricity these days."
According to the source, radiation levels would not only increase in the upper atmosphere but
also at the ground level. Some forecasts have estimated that UV radiation exposure would double, meaning the rate of cancer-related deaths would inevitably rise. Dr. Colin Forsyth from the Mullard Space Science Laboratory at University College London explained to the news outlet that ozone holes would not only become bigger but would also last longer.
In response to these potential threats, space agencies are beginning to take action. As part of
The European Space Agency's SWARM mission, three spacecraft were launched in November 2013 to give scientists new insight into the magnetic field and its variations.
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