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The Earth’s Changing, Irregular Magnetic Field is Causing Headaches for Polar Navigation

The Earth's changing, irregular magnetic field is causing headaches for polar navigation
Changes in the Earth’s global magnetic field over six months in 2014 as measured by the European Space Agency’s three-satellite Swarm constellation. The left map shows the average magnetic field and the right shows changes in magnetic field strength during that period. Credit: European Space Agency/Technical University of Denmark (ESA/DTU Space).

The Earth’s liquid molten outer core, composed mostly of iron and nickel, exerts an electromagnetic field extending from the north and south pole that protects the planet from harmful solar particle radiation.

Fluctuations in the strength of Earth’s magnetic field—caused by daily changes in solar wind structure and intermittent solar storms—can impact the use of geomagnetic field models which are essential for navigation in satellites, plan...

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