Apocalypse Now: Scientists Predict the Earth is About to Swap Magnetic Poles
SputnikNews.com
06.02.2017
Two Geophysicists of the University of Leeds, Professor Jon Mound and Professor Phil Livermore, believe that a geomagnetic reversal will occur within the next two thousand years. The scientists published their findings in The Conversation, an independent media outlet. The consequences are not certain, but they might be lethal for the humanity.
The Earth is protected from harmful cosmic radiation by a magnetic field, which deflects charged particles away from the planet. However, this force is not constant. In the entire history of the planet, there have been at least several hundred reversals of the magnetic field, when the north and south magnetic poles switched places.
During the reversal of the poles, the magnetic field changes shape and weakens. During this period, it may drop to ten percent of its original strength and simultaneously form more than two poles, even on the equator. On average, magnetic field reversals occur once in a million years, but the interval between them isn’t permanent.
Besides full geomagnetic reversals, there have been partial reversals in Earth’s history, when the magnetic poles moved to lower latitudes, until crossing the equator and then returning back. The last full reversal, the so-called Brunhes-Matuyama phenomenon happened about 780,000 years ago. A temporary reversal, the Laschamp event, occurred 41,000 years ago and lasted less than a thousand years, the scientists wrote.
During the reversals, changes in the magnetic field weaken the protection of the planet and raise the level of radiation. If a geomagnetic reversal occurred today, it would increase risks for near-Earth satellites, aircraft and ground-based electrical infrastructure. Geomagnetic storms arising from a harsh increase of solar activity give scientists an opportunity to assess the threats that the planet could face in the event of a sharp weakening of its magnetic field.
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