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Geology, Palaeontology & Archaeology / What happens when the magnetic poles switch?
« on: 23/03/2010 17:30:02 »
Yair Doza asked the Naked Scientists:
Hi
I was wandering about the change in the magnetic pole. As I understand the core of our planet changes its rotation every ~80,000 years, causing the north and south pole to change.
For a period of time (hundred or thousands of years) there is no magnetic pole as the rotation slows down.
This raised two questions:
1 - Animals migrating that use the magnetic fields must go the wrong way after each change of the magnetic field. How do they survive? Surely the evolution to adapt to the new magnetic pole takes generations, but all the migratory organism would perish if they go north for the winter in the northern hemisphere.
2 - As I understand the magnetic field of Earth is creating Van Allen (?) belts that stop the damaging solar wind from reaching earth. What stops this wind when there is no magnetic field during the time it takes the poles to swap places?
Thanks
Yair Doza
What do you think?
Hi
I was wandering about the change in the magnetic pole. As I understand the core of our planet changes its rotation every ~80,000 years, causing the north and south pole to change.
For a period of time (hundred or thousands of years) there is no magnetic pole as the rotation slows down.
This raised two questions:
1 - Animals migrating that use the magnetic fields must go the wrong way after each change of the magnetic field. How do they survive? Surely the evolution to adapt to the new magnetic pole takes generations, but all the migratory organism would perish if they go north for the winter in the northern hemisphere.
2 - As I understand the magnetic field of Earth is creating Van Allen (?) belts that stop the damaging solar wind from reaching earth. What stops this wind when there is no magnetic field during the time it takes the poles to swap places?
Thanks
Yair Doza
What do you think?