Are Earth’s poles really reversing, as they did 780,000 years ago? And does this movement have any influence on climate change? What is undeniable is that the magnetic north pole continues to shift, but what are the real implications of this phenomenon?
From Canada to Siberia
In December 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the British Geological Survey (BGS) released the latest version of the World Magnetic Model (WMM2025), an essential tool for global navigation that maps variations in Earth’s magnetic field.
Updated every five years, this model is crucial for ensuring the accuracy of navigation systems used by aircraft, ships, submarines, and GPS devices. A key innovation in this edition is the High-Resolution World Magnetic Model (WMMHR2025), which significantly improves spatial resolution—from approximately 3,300 kilometers in previous versions to 300 kilometers at the equator.
The WMM2025 also updates magnetic blackout zones near the North and South Poles, where Earth’s magnetic field can be unreliable for navigation. Since its discovery in 1831, the magnetic north pole has been shifting from Canada toward Siberia, with variations in its movement speed. In recent years, this speed has decreased from 50 km per year to around 35 km per year. This shift is attributed to unpredictable changes in the flow of molten iron in Earth’s outer core, which influence the pole’s position.
Can the Poles reverse?
The possibility of a magnetic pole reversal has been a subject of scientific study for decades. Earth’s magnetic field has undergone multiple reversals in the past, with the most recent one—the Brunhes-Matuyama reversal—occurring approximately 780,000 years ago. This geological event is well-documented and serves as a reference for paleomagnetic studies, such as the research led by Yuki Haneda, published in Progress in Earth and Planetary Science.
Although the magnetic north pole is shifting toward Siberia, there is no concrete evidence of an imminent reversal—a position supported by the authors of the study “Earth’s Magnetic Field Is Probably Not Reversing”, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
On the other hand, some studies suggest that during a reversal, the magnetic field does not completely disappear. Instead, it may weaken and become unstable, with multiple temporary poles emerging. However, it is important to note that life on Earth has already gone through multiple reversals without clear evidence of mass extinctions directly linked to these events.
Global warming: a human, not geophysical, phenomenon
This pole movement has no connection to climate change. The primary cause of global warming today is human activity, particularly the excessive emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄), along with other atmospheric composition changes—not geophysical factors like shifts in Earth’s magnetic field.
Although pole reversals do not directly affect the climate, some theories suggest that a weakened magnetic field could, in theory, increase Earth’s exposure to cosmic radiation. This could impact the ozone layer, which protects the planet from harmful solar radiation, and indirectly alter climate patterns. However, this hypothesis is not yet proven, and further research is needed.
