Samples of the ocean floor show that the Earth's magnetic field undergoes periodic reversals, at several thousand year intervals. Since humans have developed technology there have been no such reversals, but some say it could happen again in 10-20 years or so. What will happen to all our computers and electronic devices if the magnetic field is reversed? Is there any reason to think there will be significant changes?
2007-10-31 19:24:55 · 22 answers · asked by surlygurl 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
There is no fossil evidence implicating any of the thousands of pole reversals in the past as a cause of mass extinctions, so it is unlikely there will be major health issues for us outside of a theoretical potential for a slightly increased risk of skin cancer. The comments about migration patterns and the Auroras sound somewhat plausible.
As for effects on electronics and other technology, a good test for most devices you have might be to turn them around so they face the opposite direction and see how that affects them. To them, the magnetic field will then be reversed for all practical purposes.
2007-10-31 21:00:18 · answer #1 · answered by Now and Then Comes a Thought 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
4 good reasons not to worry.
1/ This is just an hypothesis thus low probability presently
2/ If this happens, it will show some first sign which have been well identified both in past reversal and in models. i.e. there will be kind of mini-pole on various place of the earth, this is not a 10-20 years job but 1000-2000 years if not more. When geologists says it is instantaneous, it means that.
3/ If it was instantaneous, there will be very few reasons to worry, it will be just a change of polarity, like put a minus instead of plus.
4/ There is nothing to do to change it even if we know it, with the present technology. We cannot prevent it, just mitigate it.
2007-11-01 05:40:47 · answer #2 · answered by omalinur 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There will be a slight increase in radiation but not enough to worry about and it won't likely be in your lifetime. It can't have dire consequences as suggested by at least one. If that were true all life on the planet would go extinct every time it reverses. That is silly.
2007-11-01 02:47:13 · answer #3 · answered by bravozulu 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
People shall need to rely less on the compass for a while. No other effect otherwise. The earth's magnetic field is too weak you know.
2007-11-01 04:44:02 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The "reversal" will have very little impact to us. Don't worry. What you should worry about is the degradation of the field, meaning the time that we don't have one. It has been proven that sometimes the field is extremely weak or not even there for periods of time.
That will increase skin cancer rates, and the Aurora Borealis will be seen in Texas. But that is about it.
Nothing to worry about.
2007-11-01 02:29:17 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
If it happens it most seriously will have dire implications. There are many theories to what will happen:
1. No longer filtered out, deadly cosmic rays will kill most, if not all of the living species on the planet.
2. Immense death count from widespread radiation induced cancers
3. Migratory patterns of birds would be destroyed
4. Massive Earthquakes would erupt from disturbances in the Earth's crust.
These are just a few of the extreme theories, this link has in-depth discussion about the reversal:
http://www.pureenergysystems.com/news/2005/02/27/6900064_Magnet_Pole_Shift/
2007-11-01 02:32:57 · answer #6 · answered by enividaliehs 2 · 2⤊ 2⤋
First of all the reversal isn't instantaneous. It's thought that a total reversal takes as long as a thousand years or so. Secondly, there's absolutely no way to stop the reversal, nor any way we can protect ourselves from its most dangerous effect (..increased exposure to high-energy radiation from the sun..) so we might just as well relax and take it as it comes.
2007-11-01 02:29:54 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
very few items are designed based on earths magnetic field , those related to space programmes , our earths magnetic field reversal must have a impact as wondered the year 2000 from year 1999 change over , a lots of problems were atnicipated , but contrary few effects were observed .
2007-11-01 02:29:32 · answer #8 · answered by david j 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The only potentially harmful effect would be people getting lost when relying on a magnetic compass to navigate. The Earth's magnetic field is far too weak to harm electronic equipment.
2007-11-01 02:28:34 · answer #9 · answered by lithiumdeuteride 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
I'm pretty sure nobody knows the speed at which the actual reversal takes place, only the intervals it occurs on.
2007-11-01 02:46:38 · answer #10 · answered by Milo 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋