Earth's magnetic field collapsing!

[Zopperoni]

I'm blaming the Gregorians.

[Q Classic]

chant with me.

[Asmodean]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
chant with me.

java chant

[Shogun Gunner]

By the way, in examining continental drift, scientists are able to determine how often the magnetic field has "flipped". I think its been determined that the magnetic pole has flipped hundreds of times in the Earth's history as a conservative estimate. Interestingly, it isn't on a regular interval. Sometimes it was a matter of years before it flipped...sometimes it took thousands of years.

Between Europe and North America, those plates are moving away from each other, so the Atlantic gets wider by a few inches every year. Scientists take samples of rock from the crack between the plate and can see the orientation of the iron atoms. The magnetic orientation alternates as the older rock (moving away from the crack between the two plates).

Yes, I said "crack" a few times there. I'm sure a few of you were giggling to yourself each time.

Well, South America, Southern Africa and Australia can take comfort. Soon you will be the northern hemisphere and we will all flip our maps around.

[Q Classic]

"crack" isn't as funny as having a dorm building named "babcock" on a street named "bever".

[Provost Harrison]

What rubbish...next you'll be telling me the earth is round

[Provost Harrison]

Oh the field is probably just going to reverse polarity or something like that. I very much doubt the earth's magnetic field is going to disappear. It will probably surge again. And besides we've got the Van Halen belt...do we have an Iron Maiden belt too?

[Ned]

Do sarcastic types truly understand the problems caused by radiation that today is deflected by the magnetic field?

BTW, when was the last reversal?

And, do we have any evidence of what happened to plants and animals during reversals that lasted a relatively long time?

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Asmodean
I am probably the only one to do a serious answer to this question:

All resaerch indicates that a reversing of Earth's magnetic field is indeed imminent. What scientists cannot agree upon is how long this will take. Some scientists believe that it can take place inside 1 or tow years, others that it is a lengthier process.

But none of the research that I have seen on this subject indicates that the magnetic field should diminish a part of this process.

But who knows??

The magnetic field is created a a result of a layer of molten lave turning around a solid iron core, so unless you want to go down there and take meausrements, your guess is as good as mine

Asmodean

Can I pick which Apolytoner to send down there?

[Ned]

As to the correlation between the mini ice age and the beginning of the reduction of the field, could this be caused by the sun increasing its drag on the core by some sort of increased solar activity?

Does anyone here have a degree in astrophysics?

[Thue]

Originally posted by Asmodean
All resaerch indicates that a reversing of Earth's magnetic field is indeed imminent. What scientists cannot agree upon is how long this will take. Some scientists believe that it can take place inside 1 or tow years, others that it is a lengthier process.

The article says it is likely not to happen. But yeah, it's CNN .

[Jaguar]

If it happens in 1500 years or later, we'll definitely be zooming around space, () but it will be sad if we lose our home planet.

[Shogun Gunner]

I'm not a scientist, but I remember reading something on the subject that speculates that the flipping doesn't cause the magnetic field to disappear, just the polarity switching (as mentioend before).

Actually, it is this magnetic field that protects the earth from space debris, cosmic rays and the such. You are right on about that Ned. I don't believe the earth would be unprotected by a magnetic field polarity flip.

[Ned]

All we "know" is that the field has declined by 10% in 150 years. What happens next and how soon is unknowable since we do not understand what is going on precisely. However, I noted the seeming correlation with the end to the mini ice age. This seems to indicate that the might be some interaction with the sun, such as marked increase in huge solar flares that do affect the magnetic field. We just experienced quite a few major flares in the last month. Could they be acting to slow the rotation of our core?

So far, this is just speculation on my part. I was hoping to hear from some members of the forum with the proper scientific background to discuss this issue.

[mrmitchell]

Same reply as the other thread.

We don't have to be afraid of computers magnetic field collapse. We'll always be our own greatest threat.