POLAR EXPRESS ?
The Magnetic North Pole moving 'pretty fast' towards Russia
Updates on its location – essential for everything from consumer electronics to
runway names – are coming thick and fast.
Earth’s north magnetic pole has been drifting
so fast in recent decades that scientists say that past estimates are no longer accurate
enough for precise navigation. On Monday, they released an update of where magnetic
north really was, nearly a year ahead of schedule.
The magnetic north pole is moving about 34 miles (55 kilometres) a year. It crossed the
international date line in 2017, and is leaving the Canadian Arctic on its way to Siberia.
The constant shift is a problem for compasses in smartphones and some consumer
electronics. Planes and ships also rely on magnetic north, usually as backup navigation,
said University of Colorado geophysicist Arnaud Chulliat, lead author of the newly
issued World Magnetic Model. GPS is not affected because it is satellite-based.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/05/magnetic-north-pole-moving-pretty-fast-towards-russia