What year did the Earth go through a magnetic reversal?

Question

I mean when like 1945 or 1000.
Something like that.

or maybe 500,000 yrs ago if u can't put

1025 bc or something

Answer 1

The last reversal occurred about 800,000 years ago. At this time, Heidelberg Man was just developing from Homo Erectus. Homo Sapiens would not show up for about another half a million years.

There was no calendar developed - for quite a long time - so numbering the year as such would be meaningless.

Answer 2

I heard that we are currently going through a reversal.
I 've only heard this from other people though, not directly from the discovery channel or anything. I did hear it from two separate people who don't know each other (if that gives it more credibility)

It takes thousands of years for it to complete so you can't put a "year" on it.

The last magnetic reversal occurred before people were on the planet. It happens randomly as well, so you can't judge by the past intervals as to when it will happen again.

Here's a link saying that it's speculative that we are currently undergoing it.
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/earth_poles_040407.html

Here's a New York Tims article that goes into more depth about the current reversal
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9803E3DD1E3BF930A25754C0A9629C8B63

Here's wikipedia's take on (if you trust that)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flipping_of_planetary_magnetic_poles

I'll try and find some more links

Answer 3

I heard it was many eons ago. But if that does happen, it would be very interesting.

Any scientists out there that knows about this stuff?

Answer 4

the palaeomagnetic record and estimates that the current decay started 2,000 years ago

Answer 5

good god, year? lol it was millions of YEARS ago...there wasn't even a year thought of b/c man wasn't even on the earth.

Answer 6

i think that was a realy long time ago