Further on the topic of life on Earth, the “flipping of magnetic poles” came to my attention recently.
Magnetic North is not a fixed place, and scientists have discovered by looking at magnetic resonances in ancient lava flows over millions of years, that the Earths magnetic direction has in the past gone from a flow from south to north, to a flow from north to south.
See this link: Earth’s magnetic field “flip” takes 7,000 years
A reversal of the Earth’s magnetic field, a rare but feared event due to the catastrophic effect it could have on human life, takes about 7,000 years to complete, says a study published today.
The “flip” between the Earth’s North and South poles occurs at long but unpredictable intervals, the most recent about 780,000 years ago.
The 180 degree switch occurs when there is a change in the circulation patterns in the molten iron which flows around the Earth’s outer core and, like a dynamo, creates the magnetic field.
No one knows what would happen to life on Earth if the “flip” occurred today but the speculation borders on the doomsday.
Many aspects of life today would be literally turned upside down, both for humans, given our dependence on magnets for navigation, and for migrating animals which use an inner compass.
We would also be more exposed to deadly busts of solar radiation, from which we are normally protected by Earth’s magnetic field. And the loss of that shield would cause solar particles to smash into the upper atmosphere, warming it and potentially causing wrenching climate change.
Apparantly this flip is overdue. Is this the end of life on Earth as we know it?
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