Pondering the Impending Pole Reversal
By: Jennifer Gibbs
One day, compasses pointing to the magnetic north will actually direct you south. Sound like science-fiction? Surprisingly, it’s not. And it’s not a product defect either. Scientists across the nation and world have provided startling evidence that we are indeed in the midst of a pole reversal.
Earlier this month, Canadian geologists confirmed this fact by announcing their countries loss of a possession many had taken for granted - the magnetic north pole. The pole has now left the Canadian border and is heading towards Siberia at an accelerated speed that now exceeds 40 km/year.
Now, despite what many people may think, this doesn’t necessarily foretell the end of the world. As a matter of fact, evidence dating back millions of years (and aired on NOVA) shows that pole reversals have occurred at fairly regular intervals throughout the planet’s history.
But the advent of a pole reversal doesn’t come without a cost to humanity. Intricately tied in with the magnetic poles is our planet’s magnetic field. As the poles go through their reversal, the earth’s magnetic field is strained and weakens. And as this weakening occurs, our exposure to sun and space radiation will increase. Because of this, our people will have to take stronger measures to protect themselves from cancer and other problems related to radiation.
While no one can truly understand the full force of this approaching hazard, this storm cloud does have a silver lining. As the poles reverse and the magnetic field weakens, the “Northern” lights will no longer be restricted to the Polar Regions. The auroras will be visible to the naked eye in places like London, Orlando, Rio and Cairo!
So keep your eyes and ears open for more news and developments for this unprecedented (at least by human standards) transformation!
Sources:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcripts/3016_magnetic.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1425129/posts
Jennifer Gibbs is a successful freelance writer who shares her time between Tacoma, WA and South Georgia. If your website, newsletter or publication could benefit from some fresh and useful content, be sure to view her website (http://www.JenniferGibbs.com) to learn how you can put her to work for you!