Scientists say a pole switch is on the cards The Earth's magnetic field is generated by its molten core, some two thousand miles beneath the surface of the planet. This magnetic field, amongst other things, helps protect us from the cosmic radiation thrown at us by bodies like the Sun. And recently, it's been throwing plenty. However, scientists are now saying that magnetic field is getting weaker - and at quite a rate. According to John Shaw, a geologist at the University of Liverpool, the rate of change in recent centuries has been greater than at any time in the last five millenia. "It's going from a strong field down to a weak field, and it's doing it very quickly," he said. This weakening suggests to scientists that the Earth's magnetic field is about to undergo a reversal. "That the Earth's magnetic field reverses is an extraordinary phenomenon, but this reversal process is quite common," Mike Fuller, a geologist at the University of Hawaii, says half-jokingly. "The last reversal was what, 780,000 years ago?" As scientists believe that these pole reversals usually happen, on average, once every 200,000 years - Fuller says that we are in fact overdue.

The reversal itself could happen anytime in the next few centuries. While the magnetic field is in transition, scientists estimate that it could weaken by as much as ninety percent - in turn exposing humans to more radiation and perhaps leading to an increase in cancer deaths. When the magnetic field reverses, compasses will point in the opposite direction, and animals that seem to use internal compasses for navigation will have to adapt to the change.

View: Full Article | Source: Phenomena Magazine