Polar drift

{{Short description|Geological phenomenon resulting in shifts in the magnetic poles}}

File:Magnetic North Pole Positions 2015.svg

Polar drift is a geological phenomenon caused by variations in the flow of molten iron in Earth's outer core, resulting in changes in the orientation of Earth's magnetic field, and hence the position of the magnetic north- and south poles.

The North magnetic pole is approximately {{convert|965|km|}} from the geographic North Pole. The pole drifts considerably each day, which results in a change of 5-60 km per year. The speed of the change was around 10 km/year for the majority of the 20th century, then increased in the 1990s to over 50 km/year, but slowed down slightly after 2020.[https://web.archive.org/web/20091228073445/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/12/091224-north-pole-magnetic-russia-earth-core.html North Magnetic Pole Moving Due to Core Flux, National Geographic News, December 24, 2009]

[https://earth-planets-space.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40623-020-01288-x#Fig4 International Geomagnetic Reference Field: the thirteenth generation (2021) Retrieved 2024-11-24]

The South magnetic pole is constantly shifting due to changes in the Earth's magnetic field.

{{as of|2005}} it was calculated to lie at {{Coord|64|31|48|S|137|51|36|E|region:AQ_type:landmark}},{{cite web|url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/geomagnetism-frequently-asked-questions|title=Geomagnetism Frequently Asked Questions |publisher=NGDC|access-date=11 January 2009}} placing it off the coast of Antarctica, between Adélie Land and Wilkes Land.

In 2015, it lay at {{coord|64.28|S|136.59|E|region:AQ_type:landmark}} (est).[http://www.geomag.bgs.ac.uk/education/poles.html British Geological Survey – Magnetic Poles] That point lies outside the Antarctic Circle and it is moving northwest by about {{convert|10|to|15|km|abbr=on|0}} per year. Its current distance from the actual Geographic South Pole is approximately {{convert|2860|km|}}.{{cite web |title=Wandering of the Geomagnetic Poles |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/wandering-geomagnetic-poles |author=NOAA National Geophysical Data Center |access-date=October 10, 2011}} The nearest permanent science station is Dumont d'Urville Station. Wilkes Land contains a large gravitational mass concentration.

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; North magnetic pole{{cite web|url=http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/geomag/nmp/northpole_e.php|title=Geomagnetism, North Magnetic Pole|work=Geological Survey of Canada|publisher=Natural Resources Canada|accessdate=12 January 2019|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326235810/http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/geomag/nmp/northpole_e.php|archivedate=26 March 2010}}

: 1900: {{coord|70.5|N|96.2|W|}}

: 1905: {{coord|70.7|N|96.5|W|}}

: 1910: {{coord|70.8|N|96.7|W|}}

: 1915: {{coord|71.0|N|97.0|W|}}

: 1920: {{coord|71.3|N|97.4|W|}}

: 1925: {{coord|71.8|N|98.0|W|}}

: 1930: {{coord|72.3|N|98.7|W|}}

: 1935: {{coord|72.8|N|99.3|W|}}

: 1940: {{coord|73.3|N|99.9|W|}}

: 1945: {{coord|73.9|N|100.2|W|}}

: 1950: {{coord|74.6|N|100.9|W|}}

: 1955: {{coord|75.2|N|101.4|W|}}

: 1960: {{coord|75.3|N|101.0|W|}}

: 1965: {{coord|75.6|N|101.3|W|}}

: 1970: {{coord|75.9|N|101.0|W|}}

: 1975: {{coord|76.2|N|100.6|W|}}

: 1980: {{coord|76.9|N|101.7|W|}}

: 1985: {{coord|77.4|N|102.6|W|}}

: 1990: {{coord|78.1|N|103.7|W|}}

: 1995: {{coord|79.0|N|105.3|W|}}

: 2000: {{coord|81.0|N|109.6|W|}}

: 2005: {{coord|83.2|N|118.2|W|}}

: 2010: {{coord|85.0|N|132.8|W|}}

: 2011: {{coord|85.4|N|137.4|W|}}

: 2012: {{coord|85.7|N|142.5|W|}}

: 2013: {{coord|85.9|N|148.0|W|}}

: 2014: {{coord|86.1|N|153.9|W|}}

: 2015: {{coord|86.3|N|160.0|W|}}

: 2016: {{coord|86.4|N|166.3|W|}}

: 2017: {{coord|86.5|N|172.6|W|}}

: 2018: {{coord|86.5|N|178.8|W|}}

: 2019: {{coord|86.4|N|175.3|E|}}

: 2020: {{coord|86.4|N|169.8|E|}}

{{cite web|url=http://wdc.kugi.kyoto-u.ac.jp/poles/polesexp.html|title=Magnetic North, Geomagnetic and Magnetic Poles|author=World Data Center for Geomagnetism, Kyoto|accessdate=2019-01-12}}

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; South magnetic pole

: 1998: {{coord|64.6|S|138.5|E|}}

: 2004: {{coord|63.5|S|138.0|E|}} (estimated)

: 2007: {{coord|64.497|S|137.684|E|}}{{cite web|url=http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/fact-files/geography/poles-and-directions|title=Poles and Directions|publisher=Australian Antarctic Division|year=2011|accessdate=October 11, 2011}}

: 2015: {{coord|64.28|S|136.59|E|}}

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