Magnetic North Pole has a new official position
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the British Geological Survey announced the Magnetic North Pole has a new position.
Global geomagnetic field modeler William Brown told ScienceAlert says it has been moving slowly around Canada. However, it has accelerated towards Siberia for the past two decades.
READ: Golden orb found under the sea
Article continues after this advertisementAs a result, BGS and NOAA will release an update to GPS systems to maintain navigation and logistics operations worldwide.
The Magnetic North Pole’s significance
NCEI has released the World Magnetic Model 2025 that tracks changes in Earth’s magnetic field: https://t.co/gCTTgldFZV @NOAA @BritGeoSurvey @NGA_GEOINT @CIRESnews pic.twitter.com/jqrDhViRpb
— NOAA NCEI (@NOAANCEI) December 17, 2024
You might recall the North Pole as Santa Claus’ home. That’s the Geographical North Pole, which rests on top of the Earth’s rotational axis.
On the other hand, NOAA says the Magnetic North Pole is a “geomagnetic field” our planet produces.
Article continues after this advertisementBritannica says British naval officer Sir James Clark Ross discovered it in 1831.
For example, the classic compass’ north arrow points to that location. Pinpointing north enabled sailors to find their way across the seas.
Eventually, scientists found ways to track it more precisely letting them create global positioning systems.
GPS is behind location tracking for Google Maps, and other navigation programs.
More importantly, it is the core of the World Magnetic Model (WMM), which facilitates modern global logistics.
The British Geological Survey explained its significance with an example.
If you use the old WMM model, traveling 8,500 km from South Africa to the UK will put you 150 km off course.
The Magnetic North Pole moves every five years, so NOAA, BGS, and similar organizations have been updating the WMM regularly.
However, geomagnetic field modeler William Brown says it’s exhibiting unusual behavior:
“Magnetic north has been moving slowly around Canada since the 1500s.”
“in the past 20 years, it accelerated towards Siberia, increasing in speed every year until about five years ago…”
“…when it suddenly decelerated from 50 to 35 kilometers [31 to 22 miles] per year, which is the biggest deceleration in speed we’ve ever seen.”
This recent change prompted BGS and NOAA to release a 2025 update to the WMM. However, most won’t notice it because “the accuracy is more than they need anyway.”
