North Pole Heads South

blamanj writes "Things are not looking good for Santa. First, news that it's getting warmer at the North Pole, and now, scientists report that the (magnetic) pole itself is on the move. 'Earth's north magnetic pole is drifting from North America at such a clip that it could end up in Siberia in the next 50 years.'"

Comments

Pole Reversal?

[MichaelSmith]

Is it true that we are overdue for a reversal in the polarity of the Earths magnetic field? Would this be a Bad Thing for us humans if it happened soon?

Re:Pole Reversal?

[luvirini]

Well the shift around the globe to Siberia is something that has apparently happened before.. the magnetic pole has never been stationary, but what is news in the article is the fact that the mevement speed seems to be accelerating.

South Pole will be Chile or Argentina?

[digitaldc]

Does this mean the South Pole will shift to Chile or Argentina as well?

Re:Rubbish

[ShamusYoung]

I'm sure you're right. Obviously birds have survived this before.

Consider: Birds don't live for decades. If the pole were to shift within a year or two, it might very well hose the bird population. However, if a flip happens over the next 50 years, then there will be many bird generations between now and then. Each generation will get "used to" the new orientation as it happens.

From a strictly Darwinian standpoint, this would explain why birds don't live very long. A bird that lives longer will experience more of the shift during its lifetime. During a shift, more of them will become lost and confused. Therefore, having a shorter lifespan is an advantage. Birds that live longer would tend to have more trouble during a shift, and would get weeded out of the gene pool from time to time.

Stupid birds.