Earth pole shift: was the geographic North Pole once where the magnetic pole is now?

Question

You may have come across the idea of pole shift in books. Northern Canada was once covered by an ice cap, and Siberia had a warm climate. Pole shift, caused by interaction with a passing heavenly body, explains this very well to me. Theories of global warming and so on become quite fallacious.

Keep in mind I mean the earth's rotational axis would have had its north pole around Hudson"s Bay. How many degrees is the magnetic pole off the geographic?

Answer 1

The earth's magnetic poles move constantly, and on some days the North magnetic pole moves by as much as 80 km (50 miles). To see a map of this go here:
http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/geomag/nmp/daily_mvt_nmp_e.php

The short term wandering of the magnetic poles is caused by the Sun, which emits charged particles that disturb the Earth's magnetic field. Long term movement of the magnetic poles is due to changes within the Earth's molten core, which is thought to generate an electric field that in turn forms the magnetic field. At present the North Magnetic Pole is moving more than 40 km per year towards Siberia. To see the map:
http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/geomag/nmp/long_mvt_nmp_e.php

The magnetic field of the Earth has undergone many complete reversals. The most recent reversal was about 730,000 years before present. Here is a timescale:
http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/geomag/nmp/reversals_e.php

In addition to the reversals, the Earth's magnetic field has what are called excursions. These are wide variations in the strength of the field and in the direction of the magnetic force. On average, these excursions are less than 50,000 years in duration.

There have been many recorded episodes of climate change, both warming and cooling, over geologic time, and so far there has been no observed correlation between changes in the Earth's magnetic polarity or 'pole shift' with any sort of climate change. There are some scientists that proposed that changes in the Sun's magnetic field might be causing an increase in Solar wind, which in turn would affect the Earth's atmosphere and might alter the cloud formation level. If this effect reduced lower level stratus clouds, it would cause global warming, but if it reduced high level cirrus clouds the effect would be cooling. However this possible climate effect caused by the Sun's magnetic field has nothing to do with Earth's magnetic field.

Answer 2

Earth's pole shifting really doesn't have to do much with global warming. Pole shifting is a geo-magnetic phenomenon and global warming is a meteorological phenomenon. Northern Canada was indeed covered by ice and at the same time period, Sibera was also covered in ice. Canada covered in ice and Siberia being warm cannot happen at the same time. Although the magnetic pole has shifted many times Earth's orientation to the Sun and to the orbital plane hasn't undergone such drastic reversals. If you are trying to promote your idea that global warming is false, this is not the place to do so. You may ask a question, we may give you an answer.

Answer 3

the solar wind is pushing the magnetosphere creates the pole shift. When there is a lot of solar wind, the magnetosphere can be pushed temporarily close to earth. This causes auroras, and because the magnetosphere is magnetic, it can mess up power lines. When the magnetosphere is pushed too far, the poles switch. I don't think this is too big a problem, and definitely wouldn't cause global warming.

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/05/05/082045.php

it basically says here that after the switch it will take a few years for the magnetosphere to get straightened out again. this will cause More skin cancer, but not a drastic climate change.

Answer 4

earth is constantly shifting. it wobbles