
Magnetic North Is Moving – Here’s What That Means
Unlike the geographic North Pole, which sits firmly atop the planet, magnetic north is a drifter — and it’s been making moves for over a century.
Driven by the restless flow of molten iron deep within Earth’s outer core, magnetic north has wandered thousands of kilometers from northern Canada toward Siberia. In the 1990s, its pace surged from a modest 6 miles (10 km) per year to a rapid 34 miles (55 km) annually. Then, around 2015, it hit the brakes. Now, according to the latest update from the World Magnetic Model (WMM), it’s still drifting — just at a gentler 21.7 miles (35 km) per year.
So why does this matter?
Magnetic north plays a crucial role in everything from Google Maps and GPS satellites to aircraft navigation and submarine guidance systems. That’s why agencies like NOAA and the British Geological Survey update the WMM every five years — to ensure the world’s navigation tools stay accurate. Most smartphone apps auto-correct, but systems like aircraft avionics and naval instruments need manual updates.
This shift isn’t random. It’s tied to changes in Earth’s magnetic field, generated by the churning of conductive materials in the planet’s core. These flows are chaotic and hard to predict — which is why scientists are closely watching every magnetic twitch and wobble.
Could this lead to a pole reversal?
Eventually, yes — but don’t panic. Earth’s magnetic poles have flipped many times throughout geological history, roughly every 300,000 to 500,000 years. The last full reversal happened about 780,000 years ago, and partial flips are even more common. What we’re seeing now is normal geomagnetic drift, not an apocalyptic event.
For now, your compass still works — it just points to a slightly different “north” than it did a few years ago.
🛰️ Source: “Earth’s magnetic north pole is on the move, and scientists just updated its position.” – CNN, 2025
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