Earth’s north magnetic pole is sprinting across the Arctic, as shown in this map. In 1831, it was centered at the tip of the blue line, over northern Canada. It then wandered southward a bit before turning toward Russia. In all, it ha moved almost 700 miles since it was discovered. Earth’s magnetic field is generated by motions of molten rock in the planet’s outer core. Those motions produce electric currents, which create the magnetic field. So the changing position and rate of motion are telling us something about what’s going on deep inside Earth. [NOAA/NCEI]
Find out more in our radio program entitled Shifting Pole.