Earth’s Impending Magnetic Flip
A geomagnetic reversal may happen sooner than expected

9-16-2014 | Annie Sneed

Earth’s magnetic north and south poles have flip-flopped many times in our planet’s history—most recently, around 780,000 years ago. Geophysicists who study the magnetic field have long thought that the poles may be getting ready to switch again, and based on new data, it might happen earlier than anyone anticipated.

The European Space Agency’s satellite array dubbed “Swarm” revealed that Earth’s magnetic field is weakening 10 times faster than previously thought, decreasing in strength about 5 percent a decade rather than 5 percent a century. A weakening magnetic field may indicate an impending reversal, which scientists predict could begin in less than 2,000 years. Magnetic north itself appears to be moving toward Siberia.

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Easy math: two weeks is less that 2,000 years — right…?

Hang onto your sextant, ER.