The Earth's magnetic field is due to 'flip' very soon. Will this happen instantly? Will it affect gravity?

Question

It has been over 788,000 years since the last event which should occur approximately every 500,000 years, so it is way overdue. ("soon" in astronomic timescale).

Answer 1

Yes it is overdue and it may happen suddenly, perhaps over the course of a year or two (suddenly on geological terms) from the current evidence we have there are distinct bands of differing magnetism, indicating it wasn't that gradual.

However it's effects will firstly have nothing to do with gravity. As far as we currently know gravity has no effect from electromagnetism, and there are planets without a rotating core or magnetic field that still exert gravity. Also with the switching of the poles the electromagnetic field that keeps soalr radiation awayt will NOT dissipate. That field comes from the earth's core like a gyromagnet and the core itself is not revolving in a different direction, so that will not change.

What will change apart from all the compasses pointing the opposite direction could be some trouble for migrating birds, but more often the radiation belt will switch. The Van Allen belt is an area of plasma charged space very close to the earth trapped by our magnetic field. With a reverse in polarity it should switch the other way, start flowing in the other direction. since it's not a strict circle but has dips and waves they will be in different places. This may cause some havoc with satellites and some danger to spacecraft until the new one is mapped. Most importantly the south atlantic anomaly, the point where the blet is closest to earth, will move. This region is well mapped as a no go zone for spacecraft, the Hubble telescope must switch itself off when travelling through it. If it switches it could be quite dangerous.

Answer 2

The correct word would be geological timescale, not astronomic timescale. The idea of of a timescale of the universe is rather complex because the first zepto seconds of our universes creation are extremely important, while the many fractions of seconds that occupy the time afterwards are not. Astronomically we are concerned normally either with eons or fractions, but this is beside the point.

Yes the Earth is apparently due for a magnetic 'flip', but the nature of magnetohydrodynamics is an extremely complex non-linear system which of course means it will exhibit some kind of chaos, making it almost impossible to predict when it will happen. Much like the weather, we can accurately say that in the northern hemisphere it will be colder in January than in July, but we cannot say by how much.

The other answers have provided information on other parts of the question, but another interesting point to make is that of aurora australias and borealis [the northern and southern lights]. These displays are caused by ionised particles from the sun flaring up as they enter our atmosphere and specifically, the ionisphere. The negatively charged particles are attracted to the southern pole and vice versa, which is why the aurora is associated with either very high or low latitudes, because of the location of the magnetic poles. So when the poles flip, aurora will be seen in places it normally wouldn't.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Because the Earth's magnetic field arises in the unstable patterns of fluid flow in the core, it changes direction at irregular intervals. In recent geologic history it may have switched direction about every 200,000 years. Any kind of geologic deposit (e.g.: lava flows, layered muds) put down over time will thus have different layers magnetized in opposing directions, recording the magnetic field direction as it was when the layer solidified. Geophysicists can measure the changes in direction to make a magnetostratigraphy for the deposit.

At oceanic spreading centers new ocean floor is being created constantly and slowly moves away from the rift. The farther the rock is from the rift, the older it is, and it also shows the magnetic reversals like a tape recording.

As to how quickly it will happen, I don't think anybody knows. I would suggest that it will happen over, in human terms, a relatively long time period, geologicaly speaking, seconds.

As to gravity, as someone else has already stated, it will have no effect. Gravity is a funtion of mass, not magnetic polarity.

Answer 5

'Very soon' in geological terms could be sometime in the next several thousand years or perhaps effectively never. Anyway, there is no evidence that polarity reversal HAS to occur at regular intervals. Even if the magnetic field 'flips', polarity and gravity are entirely different things. Our planet's gravity is directly linked to its mass, not which pole is 'north'. So -- no, even if the poles reverse it will not affect gravity, so don't worry that we'll all go flying off into space or anything!

In fact, don't worry about it at all:)

Answer 6

It won't happen quickly in human terms, and the main problem that a long period of little or no magnetic field will cause is that we will no longer be protected from cosmic radiation, most of which is currently deflected by the field. It's extremely dangerous. But, on the plus side, when it's all over there can be fresh expeditions to see who can be first to reach the new poles.

Answer 7

Actually, the frequency is 250000 years, not 500000. The answer depends on how you define "instantly". It takes some hundreds to thousands of years for the field to reverse, so not instantly from a human perspective, but certainly quite quick on a geographic scale. And no, it won't affect gravity - the force of gravity is dependent on mass.

Answer 8

Nope. Gravity is controlled by mass. That does not change. The Earth will still spin, the oceans will be in place. I should think that it will take somewhere less than a minute, and that every animal will sense something going on.

Answer 9

Earth's magnetic field is caused due to our planet's spin. In order for the polarity of our planet to change, our planet would have to reverse its direction of spin.

Answer 10

Its not necessary for such a big incident to wipe out a part of earth. If Allah, the Almighty, the Creator, sustainer and Cherisher of the universe willing....He says "Be" and it becomes.