The Earth’s magnetic field is unstable and constantly changing. Until recently, scientists figured out why.
After first being described in 1978, scientists finally believe they know the cause is molten liquid metal in the Earth’s core.
Our planet is more than just rocks and water. Deep beneath our feet, there is a sea of liquid metal. This is why the Earth has a magnetic field.
The magnetic field in the Earth after a period of continuous change.
Researchers have known that motion within the core, in the form of slow convection, can cause changes in the magnetic field over the course of centuries.
Every 10 years or so could be the result of “fast” changing electromagnetic waves in the Earth’s core.
Reporting in the journal Nature Geoscience, scientists from the Institut Physique de Globe de Paris and the Technical University of Denmark used supercomputers to model the Earth’s core and successfully recreate the events. lead to a change in the magnetic field.
Magnetic fields are vital to life on Earth, so understanding its intricacies and wonders is also of great importance. We (and many other species) use it for navigation.
In addition, it also plays a fundamental role in protecting the Earth from charged particles in the solar wind and cosmic rays.
Although very important, the magnetic field still holds many mysteries. One of the most intriguing is the possibility that the Earth’s magnetic field decays dramatically, and changes from north will tip south and south to north.