Magnetc Field Flip

The flipping of the planet's magnetic pole sounds like the plot of a disaster movie, but it seems to happen cyclically and at somewhat predictable intervals. In fact, for the past 20 million years or so, Earth’s magnetic field has flipped every 200,000 to 300,000 years —although it has been more than twice that long since the last one.

But what does this mean? Could the next geomagnetic reversal occur at any time? And if that is the case, should we be worried?

What is Earth’s magnetic field?
The Earth’s magnetic field is a magnetic field that originates in its core. The reason why Earth has a magnetic field is due to its solid iron core that is surrounded by an ocean of hot, liquid metal, which generates an electric current as it moves.

The molten, conductive fluid in the Earth is constantly moving. Earth’s core is extremely hot, over 9,000°F (5,000°C), even hotter than the outer layer of the Sun, and this heat drives convection currents in the outer core. The constant movement of the molten outer core around the solid iron inner core generates a magnetic field via the dynamo effect, which extends out into the space around the Earth.

The magnetic field shields the planet from the effects of the solar wind, and this is what allows life on Earth to exist.

The solar wind is full of charged particles, magnetic clouds, and radiation which would severely damage any life that might exist. Earth's magnetic field, or magnetosphere, serves as a shield, deflecting and redirecting the solar wind.

In fact, when the solar wind slams into the magnetosphere, it produces the aurora borealis, the northern and southern lights in the polar regions. When charged particles from the sun strike atoms in Earth’s atmosphere, electrons move to higher-energy orbits. When the electrons move back to a lower-energy orbit, it releases a particle of light or photon.  READ MORE...