WHY READ THIS ARTICLE?
Over a few centuries, Earth’s magnetic field might become so weak that it will have severe consequences for our everyday lives.
The most recent pole inversion caused total extinction for numerous species.
The power is out. You stumble around looking for a torch. Outside the window the street is dark; even the traffic lights are out. From upstairs you can see a train that has come to a halt. You don’t know it yet, but it’s not just your town in darkness; it’s every town, and every city, as chaos strains the infrastructure and brings down electric grids all over the world.
This scenario is fictitious. But it could come to pass if the magnetic field around Earth were eliminated. And a longterm black-out would be just the start.
Pole inversion has long been the subject of scientific debate. But now British and Danish scientists have analysed satellite observations over three decades to track the position of the magnetic North Pole, looking for any evidence the poles might be moving. The results are worrying. Up until 1990, the
