Earth's magnetic field changes 10 times faster than once thought

Related: Rapid geomagnetic changes inferred from Earth observations and numerical simulations (Nature Communications)

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Source: Live Science

Earth's magnetic field changes 10 times faster than once thought

By Mindy Weisberger - Senior Writer 8 hours ago

New simulations visualized the field's shifting flows over 100,000 years

Our planet's dynamic magnetic field can change direction far more quickly than scientists suspected.

This bubble of magnetism holds our atmosphere in place and protects us from harmful cosmic radiation and solar winds. But a few times every million years, the field's polarity reverses and the magnetic North Pole and South Pole trade places. The last time this happened was about 780,000 years ago, and the process was previously estimated to take thousands of years, shifting at a rate of about one degree per year.

But this and other dramatic changes in the magnetic field's direction may happen 10 times faster than once thought — and nearly 100 times faster than recently observed changes, researchers reported in a new study.

The sloshing of molten iron in the planet's outer core, swirling more than 1,700 miles (2,800 kilometers) below the surface, powers Earth's invisible magnetic field. Roiling, conductive magma creates electrical charges that determine the positions of the magnetic poles and shape the invisible magnetic field lines that cradle the globe and connect the poles.

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Read more: https://www.livescience.com/magnetic-field-changes-faster-10x.html