The idea of the Earth’s magnetic poles reversing may seem like a science fiction movie, yet many scientists believe that it could happen at any time, based on the recurrence of the Earth’s north and south poles every 200,000 to 300,000 years, but the last time this happened was about 780,000 years ago. , causing many scholars to fear that a reversal might be imminent.
In the event of a magnetic reversal, some experts claim that it could make some parts of the Earth uninhabitable by cutting off electricity networks, but fortunately a new study reassured everyone that it is unlikely that the Earth’s magnetic poles will flip soon, according to the newspaper “ Britain’s Daily Mail.
Scientists collect 9,000-year-old data
Researchers from Lund University have collected data on the strength of the Earth’s magnetic field over a period of 9,000 years, and say there is no evidence of a reversal. Earth has a fierce molten core that generates a magnetic field capable of defending our planet against the devastating solar winds, and this protective field extends thousands of miles into space. Its magnetism affects everything from the aurora borealis to power grids.
Over the past 180 years, the strength of the Earth’s magnetic field has decreased by about 10%, however, a mysterious region has appeared in the South Atlantic where the strength of the geomagnetic field is decreasing most rapidly, the region is called the “South Atlantic Anomaly” and has seen satellites crash over it several times due to exposure For highly charged particles from the Sun, this has led to speculation that the Earth is heading toward a magnetic pole inversion.
The results of the scientists’ analyzes in the new study
In the new study, the team set out to test whether this was really the case, by studying evidence dating back 9,000 years. Andreas Nilsson, a geologist at Lund University, said the team analyzed burnt artifacts, volcanic samples and sediment cores, all of which carry information about the field. Earth’s magnetic field.
Using sensitive tools, the researchers were able to recreate the direction and strength of Earth’s magnetic field at specific places and times. Reassuringly, the team’s model indicates that the South Atlantic anomaly will recover on its own, and is unlikely to lead to the reversal that some had predicted.