Weakening of Earth's magnetic field could herald flip of poles

[Khephra]

Weakening of Earth's magnetic field could herald flip of poles

SAN FRANCISCO -- The strength of the Earth's magnetic field has decreased 10 percent over the past 150 years, raising the remote possibility that it may collapse and later reverse, flipping the planet's poles for the first time in nearly a million years, scientists said Thursday.

At the current rate of decline, the field could vanish altogether in 1,500 to 2,000 years, said Jeremy Bloxham of Harvard University.

Hundreds of years could pass before a flip-flopped field returned to where it was 780,000 years ago.

However, scientists at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union cautioned that scenario is an unlikely one.

more..........

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--poleflip1211dec11,0,2640027.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire

[proud patriot]

1. I find this so interesting

thanks khephra

[JM]

2. I saw something on TV

about this. The interesting thing is that when the process starts, the poles wobble a little. The result is a magnetic pattern almost identical to the warming weather cycles that have been running across across the northern hemisphere.

Later,
JM

[Dudley_DUright]

3. Very interesting

but also could be quite dangerous if it did flip.

The weakening, if coupled with a subsequently large influx of radiation in the form of protons streaming from the sun, can also affect the chemistry of the atmosphere, said Charles Jackman of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

That can lead to significant but temporary losses of atmospheric ozone, he said.

Which of course could lead to lots and lots of skin cancer among other bad results.

[wysi]

4. Down here...

... we already have that. There's a big hole in the ozone over the south pole, and skin cancer rates are astronomical.

I suppose if the poles flip I'll be living in the Northern Hemisphere again!

[moof]

5. it's not if , it's when

The PBS show NOVA did a program about this a few weeks ago and the conclusion was that it is only a matter of time till it flips again.
Historically the field flips every 250,000 years so we are overdue now at 700,000 years.

here is the main page about the show
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/magnetic/

and here is info about the reversal
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/magnetic/reversals.html

[DemoTex]

6. Damn! I hope I'm not flying on the day it flips.

Can you imagine the havoc it will cause? Airplanes headed for Europe will end up in Asia. Pilots will go crazy as compasses read 180-degrees when lined up for landing on runway 36. Polaris will be in the southern sky, and Crux in the north. The sun will rise in the west and set in the east.

And the geese and ducks! What will those poor fuckers do? Tell me!

[moof]

7. here is a link to the segment about the effect on animals

Would a dramatic change in the Earth's magnetic field affect
creatures that rely on it during migration?

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/magnetic/animals.html