The North Pole is Moving And We Don't Know Why

TL;DR

Earth's magnetic north pole has accelerated from 5–10 km/year to 50 km/year since the 1990s, driven by shifting molten iron flows in the outer core.

Key Points

• 1.The magnetic north pole has dramatically accelerated toward Siberia. For 400 years it drifted slowly around Canada at 5–10 km/year, but since the late 1990s it surged to up to 50 km/year.
• 2.The shift has real-world consequences for navigation. The World Magnetic Model, maintained by NOAA and the British Geological Survey, required an emergency out-of-cycle update in 2019 and is used by militaries, airlines, and oil drillers.
• 3.Two competing magnetic 'north' flux bundles — one under Canada, one under Siberia — explain the movement. The Canadian region has weakened while the Siberian one has strengthened, pulling the pole eastward.
• 4.Earth's overall magnetic field has weakened ~10% over two centuries, raising reversal fears. A reversal — which has happened hundreds of times historically — could strip cosmic radiation shielding for thousands of years, though no reversal appears imminent.