For those who are mammoth and dinosaur enthusiasts, you might get to see them at some point during your life. We kid. But, the Earth’s north magnetic pole is shifting. This is some cause for concern, as scientists linked wandering poles to Earth’s last ice age. Even though you might not see mammoths and dinosaurs during your lifetime, you might get to see an updated World Magnetic Model.
U.S. Government Shutdown Delays World Magnetic Model Update
For those who do not know what a magnetic north is, it is where a compass points north. It is different from the geological north, and the difference between the two is now bigger than it should be, according to some. And, this difference is usually in the World Magnetic Model. Except, it has not had an update since 2015.
We do not know how long the latest U.S. government shutdown will delay the update of the World Magnetic Model. The initial plans were to update the model on January 15, due to the rapid acceleration of the magnetic field shift. Now, the plans are to update the model on January 30. This could affect everything from Google Maps to actual ships at sea.
Magnetic North Shifting from Canadian Arctic to Siberia
The magnetic north is shifting from the Canadian Arctic to Siberia at a very fast pace. In fact, it is happening much faster than scientists predicted in the past. Scientists do not know what the cause is, but there are movements of liquid iron in the core of the planet that have to do with it. Some believe that there are two patches of the magnetic field that place the north magnetic pole where it is; there is one beneath Canada and the other beneath Siberia. Right now, it is shifting towards Siberia.
Will We See Mammoths?
Let us hope that the North and South poles do not flip in our lifetime. According to scientists, they flip every 200,000 to 300,000 years. Even more, scientists believe that a flip would cause extreme weather effects for those on Earth. Some believe that a flip is already happening. Thus, there might be mammoths down the road. (But maybe not dinosaurs.)
