Earth's magnetic field reversals mimicked in the lab
The switching of the poles can be studied in a tub of molten metal.
Every few hundred thousand years or so, the Earth's north and south magnetic poles switch places. No one knows what triggers these geomagnetic field reversals, but a team in France has now reproduced them in the lab.
Read the story here.
Comments
Not only a magnetic pole shift, but a crustal pole shift has also been the topic of speculation and prediction.
The article below looks at this angle of pole shift theories:
"Earth’s crust and poles wander, drift and shift: Dangerous days ahead?"
Steve Hammons
American Chronicle
September 8, 2006
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=13364
Posted by: Steve Hammons | March 10, 2007 06:11 PM
I think that the Mayans know about this event because of their famous Mayan calender that apparently ends on December 21, 2012. Thats when the shift of the earths poles are going to change.
Posted by: Miguel Guerrero | March 11, 2007 01:01 AM
Someone did in Argentine an experiment similar (around 2 years ago) or that where he put a cooper ball inside an oil and put between the extreme of the oil hight voltage and the ball get a motion and after some level of high voltage the ball reverse the motion.
To me the magnetism is a field give by a big sun and our sun. This big sun we don' t still know but when we put some electric field we can change the poles of the magnetic.
It is like the Earth be between two suns (suns are like antennas)and the electric field produce thermic noise that modify the caracteristic of the material called magnetic.
The thermic noise is in any part with more or less power and if we think that we are between two suns one extremely strong and distant the Earth has thermis noise inside in different level in any point of the Earth.
To me has only one thing in the world electrical field and gravity and magnetism is thermic noise give by this 2 suns and give by man made electric power.
Posted by: Cristina | March 11, 2007 09:43 PM
4. What causes the magnetic fields to reverse?
To answer this one, we must rely on the theory of relativity. Electrons on the surface of the earth have no relative velocity to a man on the surface of the earth as the earth rotates. The normal field is due to electrons and as they move outward the normal field will decrease and if they move inward then the normal field will increase because of relativity. Therefore the reversal of earth’s magnetic field will be controlled by the inward or outward motion of the spherical shell of electron. At the present time this shell of electrons are moving outward.
Posted by: Eugene D. Richard | March 11, 2007 11:30 PM
What is the reason why this experiment could have been done with mercury instead of molten sodium?
best regards,
pete
Posted by: pete stolos | March 12, 2007 12:43 AM
I just have one simple question. Can the flip of the direction of the magnetic field between the two poles can cause the earth to rotate in the opposite direction "clockwise"??
[Editor's note: nope!]
Posted by: Ahmed Mohmed Refaat | March 13, 2007 11:56 AM
Why is it that no one on this blog can write an intelligible sentence?
Posted by: Laura | April 16, 2007 08:40 AM
I am curious and haven't been able to find much on the web on this question:
Are there any scientific theories as to what effects a magnetic field reversal would have on life on earth?
If the field were to reverse in the near future, would we feel anything? Would the birds or other animals that seem to navigate via magnetic fields notice any difference? Would it affect any technolgies that rely on a compass?
Posted by: Rose | May 8, 2007 06:05 AM
i will like to know the most plusible cause of magnetic field reversals
Posted by: jarvis jabea molua | June 20, 2007 07:04 PM
Actually the idea about the spinning ball and oil may have some truth to how the inner earth works, but of course mankind is still pumping the oil out of the earth. What will be the outcome of that is a tricky question.
Posted by: steve | July 15, 2007 08:02 PM
A theory:
The galaxy is the stronger magnetic field within the solar system and dictates the Earths magnetic poles in “most” circumstances. Coming into 2012 the Sun will reverse poles like clockwork and be in opposition to the Earths. Unlike the thousands of years preceding when the galaxy prevents the Earth’s polar shift; the solar system goes through galactic alignment and magnetic polar influence of the galaxy goes through “zero” transition. At this point the sun now becomes Earth’s major influence and Earth being the weaker magnet will shift. If following the Mayan and other symbols this shift may not be just the core but the planet itself (day to night, night to day) in one quick procession. In the following days or weeks the galaxy will then exert the stronger magnetic field again and the Earth will shift back.
Posted by: Lyle | December 7, 2007 02:36 AM