Recent measurements of the shift in Earth's magnetic north pole show that it's moving toward Russia in an unprecedented way that scientists are calling "something that we have never observed before."
NOAA NCEIThe movement of Earth’s magnetic north pole now shows a shift away from Canada and toward Siberia.
Earth’s magnetic north pole has been shifting gradually for centuries due to the movement of molten metals in the planet’s outer core. In the 1990s, magnetic north began to experience an unprecedented acceleration away from Canada and toward Siberia.
However, new measurements have shown that this movement of the magnetic north pole has now slowed in surprising ways. Scientists are uncertain about the cause of the recent deceleration and meanwhile worry about the impacts it may have on GPS navigation systems used by everything from planes to smartphones.
What Is Earth’s Magnetic North Pole And Why Does It Move?
BGS/UKRI/Wessel, P./W. H. F. SmithA map showing magnetic declination, or the angle between true north and magnetic north.
Earth’s north pole comes in two forms: true north and magnetic north.
True north refers to the geographic north pole, the fixed point where Earth’s rotational axis meets its surface. It is aligned with lines of longitude, which converge at this point. In contrast, magnetic north is the shifting location where Earth’s magnetic field lines point vertically downward, a result of the planet’s molten outer core generating a magnetic field.
As the molten metals in the core churn, Earth’s magnetic field shifts as part of a process called geodynamo. In addition to protecting the planet from harmful solar radiation and solar winds, Earth’s magnetic field and magnetic north in particular have played an integral role in navigation.
For centuries, compasses — devices containing magnetized needles that align with the magnetic north pole — have guided sailors, soldiers, and explorers across the globe. However, it wasn’t until 1831 that explorer James Clark Ross identified the precise location of Earth’s magnetic north pole, sparking ongoing efforts by researchers to track its movement.
BGS/UKRI/Wessel, P./W. H. F. SmithMap showing magnetic north pole moving between 1600 and 2025.
Today, the magnetic north pole plays a crucial role in numerous navigational systems that remain essential worldwide. It is so integral that the scientific community releases a new edition of the World Magnetic Model (WMM) every five years to keep navigation systems around the world updated as it shifts.
“It has typically moved about 10 km (6.2 miles) per year or less over the last 400 years,” Dr. William Brown, a geophysicist and geomagnetism researcher for the British Geological Survey, told CNN.
However, for the past 30 years, the magnetic north pole has been shifting rapidly north. In 1990, it increased the pace of its shift from 9.3 miles per year to 34.2 miles per year, which was unprecedented.
And just as quickly as it accelerated, it has now suddenly slowed down.
The Magnetic North Pole Is Moving In Ways That Are Leaving Scientists Baffled
ESA/geoGraphicsAnimation showing the magnetic north pole shifting from 1840 to 2019.
Last December, scientists from the British Geological Survey and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released the newest edition of the WMM. In it, researchers detailed how Earth’s magnetic north pole is shifting even more toward Siberia, but also revealed that this movement is slowing down.
“The current behavior of magnetic north is something that we have never observed before,” Brown announced in a statement from the British Geological Survey.
Scientists remain uncertain about why magnetic north pole’s movement accelerated before abruptly slowing down. One theory suggests that Siberia’s magnetic field is overpowering Canada’s, which may explain the rapid shift — but it does not fully account for the recent slowdown.
Even worse, predicting the movement of magnetic north has become more of a complicated task.
“It could change (its) rate, or even speed up again,” Brown told CNN. “We will continue to monitor the field and assess the performance of the WMM, but we do not anticipate needing to release a new model before the planned update in 2030.”
The Consequences Of Earth’s Magnetic North Pole Shifting
Christopher Michel/FlickrA nuclear powered icebreaker traverses the North Pole.
While scientists work to pinpoint the reason for the magnetic north pole’s strange behavior, navigation-reliant industries around the world are scrambling to update their systems.
“Major airlines will upgrade the navigation software across their entire fleets of aircraft to load in the new model, and militaries in NATO will need to upgrade software in a huge number of complex navigation systems across all kinds of equipment,” Brown told CNN.
Without the update, companies risk navigational errors that could cost millions. As the British Geological Survey explained just before Christmas 2024, using Santa Claus as their tongue-in-cheek example but nevertheless invoking accurate measurements:
Imagine someone was planning to travel by sleigh from a chimney top in South Africa to a snow covered-roof in the UK, a journey of around 8500 km (5281 miles). Using the previous WMM and setting off just one degree off-course, he would end up approximately 150 km (93.2) away from where he should. With a margin of error of only a few inches between chimney flues, this could cause significant issues.
One silver lining is that the previous WMM included an accurate model for 2025, giving companies that depend on precise navigation time to prepare for the shift. The main concern, however, is that the increasingly erratic behavior of the magnetic north pole’s movement could lead to significant problems in the coming decades.
After reading about Earth’s magnetic north pole shifting, dive into the story of Roald Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole and the first to fly over the North Pole. Then, view 27 photos of the Northern Lights, a phenomenon caused by the interaction between solar winds and Earth’s magnetic field.
