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The Recent Changes In Earth's Magnetic Field (esa.int)

Europe's Swarm constellation of satellites have documented bigger-than-expected changes that have been occurring in the Earth's magnetic field. Earlier this year SpaceWeather.com reported that the data show clearly that "the field has weakened by about 3.5% at high latitudes over North America, while it has strengthened about 2% over Asia. The region where the field is at its weakest -- the South Atlantic Anomaly -- has moved steadily westward and weakened further by about 2%. These changes have occurred over the relatively brief period between 1999 and mid-2016."

Science writer Robert Zimmerman reports: It was already known that the field has weakened globally by about 10% since the 19th century. These changes appear to be part of that generally weakening. Some scientists have proposed that this is the beginning of an overall flip of the magnetic field's polarity, something that happens on average about every 300,000 years and last occurred 780,000 years ago. At the moment, however, we have no idea if this theory is correct.

3 of 170 comments (clear)

  1. Re:another variable that effects weather by Gadget_Guy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Wow. I had considered coming here to joke about whether the anti-science deniers would come out of the woodwork to claim that the magnetic field wasn't changing at all and they were just after funding, but it looks like the bullshitters are still fixated on climate change.

    that is equally as important as co2, but climate change pushers put all the burden on man.

    We can't change the magnetic field (as far as we know), but we can change what we do to the environment. Nobody has ever said that it is only man who is causing climate change, but only man can actually do something about it.

    i'm no climate change denier...

    Yes you are

    i just know ther is way more to this than the gov't and most gov't funded scientists pushing the man made global warming agenda would lead you to believe. follow the $.

    The problem with that theory is that when the deniers fund their own study, it also comes to the same conclusion; that climate change is real and that the carbon dioxide curve is the best match to global warming. So following the $ is meaningless, unless you can show evidence that anyone has falsified their climate research to get funding. If not, then there is no basis to the corruption claim. With all the leaked emails in the world, and the massive number of people who would have to collude to perpetrate a hoax, it's amazing that nobody has found any proof to this claim. And that is despite the efforts of the well-funded denial groups out there. Sure, follow the $!

  2. Re:another variable that effects weather by Gadget_Guy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Nobody has ever said that it is only man who is causing climate change

    Actually the tsunami of climate change bollocks in the media and on most websites 24/7 implies precisely that.

    No, you inferred it; they didn't imply it.

    Nobody talks about natural variation at all.

    What would you like them to say about it? It's not like we can petition the world to stop changing. However, the rate that the world is warming is way above what might occur naturally. Just because the climate could change naturally doesn't mean that we should be make it worse. Besides, don't deniers like to say that global warming is good because we should actually be moving into an ice age and that this warming actually stops that? You can't have it both ways! Is the "natural" climate change supposed to be getting hotter or colder?

  3. Re: So... by ColdWetDog · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So, science, in your opinion, what species will rule the earth next?

    It will be cockroaches, more than likely. They seem to be new paradigm for political leadership. Shit flows downhill.

    QED

    --
    Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!