Quote (Torm1 @ Mar 13 2011 12:59pm)
Well actually, the magnetic pole shifts (When you look at the magnetic stripe reversals) happened pretty well instantly, maybe a few days.
Earth's magnetic field is caused by the fact that the molten outer core is spinning around. Because it's spinning in its current direction, magnetic North points where it does, and magnetic South points where it does. In order for the magnetic poles to reverse, the entire outer core has to begin spinning/rotating in the opposite direction. I just Googled quickly and found this:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/04/040408085209.htmQuote
Clement examined the database of existing polarity transition records of the past four reversals. The overall average duration, he found, is 7,000 years. But the variation is not random, he said. Instead it alters with latitude. The directional change takes half as long at low-latitude sites as it does at mid- to high-latitude sites. "This dependence of duration on site latitude was surprising at first, but it's exactly as would be predicted in geometric models of reversing fields," Clement said.
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As far as an actual geological pole shift, yeah that would take millions.
That would take an calamitous collision with a meteor. I'm talking an extreme ELE that hits us at a glancing blow on one of the poles. The Earth has too large of a moment of inertia for it to just naturally flip over. It has a natural wobble which moves the pole with respect to the plane of the solar system, but it oscillates around the same point. It's not going to naturally flip over, even with millions of years.
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But if we go into a magnetic flip while the sun is in the peak of Solar Cycle 24, we are pretty much done for.
There have been tons of magnetic reversals in the past and life continues anyway. There's no need for any end of days stuff here.
This post was edited by bentherdonethat on Mar 14 2011 07:58am