NationStates Jolt Archive

Guess what? earth's magnetic poles are reversing. Should we prepare for this, or should we just let people deal with it in 1,000 years(when it shoudl happen)?

Aw damn...I guess I'll have to cut down on something won't I?

Isn't that when the earth flips upside down?

I thought that they had shown that the poles were about to become destabilised. Multiple poles over the earth first, then they switch.
Great fun with cosmic radiation when it happens though. (It has happened before apparently. *sets off looking for evidence*)

*comes back with* Linky (http://www.antarcticconnection.com/antarctic/news/2002/041802mag_flip.shtml)

I thought that they had shown that the poles were about to become destabilised. Multiple poles over the earth first, then they switch.
Great fun with cosmic radiation when it happens though. (It has happened before apparently. *sets off looking for evidence*)
Yes. Apparently the ozone layer will go, and we will be exposed to teh sun's deadly UV rays, even more. Then, North will be South, animals with magnetic tracking systems will go haywire and we'll all die.

Exageration. Animals should adapt to teh change over teh years, but we won't...

It happens alot, at least in terms of the life of the Earth. Its not really a big deal, especially with GPS and stuff today. There are a few shaky claims tying major disasters to this reversal, but there is no actual evidence of impending doom.

I thought that they had shown that the poles were about to become destabilised. Multiple poles over the earth first, then they switch.
Great fun with cosmic radiation when it happens though. (It has happened before apparently. *sets off looking for evidence*)
Awesome! ...Well, not for anything alive... but it's still cool. :cool:

That'll be so weird when they switch... we'll have to like, reset everything that uses the poles to operate. Funky.

Sorry, huge worldwide changes are fascinating to me. :p

It happens alot, at least in terms of the life of the Earth. Its not really a big deal, especially with GPS and stuff today. There are a few shaky claims tying major disasters to this reversal, but there is no actual evidence of impending doom.
Should happen on earth every 250,000years. The last one was 750,000 years ago.

Should happen on earth every 250,000years. The last one was 750,000 years ago.
According to that link its once every million years and take about 3000 years to complete.

According to that link its once every million years and take about 3000 years to complete.
Let me get my source...Hold on a sec

There's actually been a goodly number of polar reversals in Earth's history. I know that you can see evidence of this on the ocen floors, espescially near the those rift...thingies....I don't remember the damn term. *Bangs head on table* Oh well, no matter, I know that these changes are useful for paleontologists and the like for dating purposes, and the fact that life survived them previously doesn't seem to cause any alarm in my personal opinion.

According to that link its once every million years and take about 3000 years to complete.
I believe it's actually random, how much time there is between each switch. I know I read it somewhere... *runs off to try and find a link*

Ok:

I got it from a magazine. Its called "Science World, March 7, 2005, Vol 61, No 11"

The article is on page 12 of teh magazine.
Some scientists say that this weakening may be the beginning of a major geoloical event:a reversal(flipping) of earth's magnetic poles, an occurence that happens roughly every 250,000years. And earth is long overdue:The last flip occured more than 750,000 years ago

Guess what? earth's magnetic poles are reversing. Should we prepare for this, or should we just let people deal with it in 1,000 years(when it shoudl happen)?We should surely prepare. I have already marked all compasses I could find with the text: "North is South".

We should surely prepare. I have already marked all compasses I could find with the text: "North is South".
lol Your prepared.

There's actually been a goodly number of polar reversals in Earth's history. I know that you can see evidence of this on the ocen floors, espescially near the those rift...thingies....I don't remember the damn term. *Bangs head on table* Oh well, no matter, I know that these changes are useful for paleontologists and the like for dating purposes, and the fact that life survived them previously doesn't seem to cause any alarm in my personal opinion.

Yes, but before there weren't many electronic things on the planet. This change is rather slow, but very violent to the delicate electronics of today. Luckily, since this won't happen in our lifetimes and computers will be very different, it won't really have much of an effect on us other than the massive boost in radiation that hits the planet's surface. (More radiation = More mutation = More chances for evolution to occur. Can't people see that? I like mixing topics)

How will I ever find my way to work in the mornings? I should look through the online adverts and try to find an Australian looking for work and get him to teach me southern hemisphere navigation techniques.

And if he's a hottie, have sex with him.

How will I ever find my way to work in the mornings? I should look through the online adverts and try to find an Australian looking for work and get him to teach me southern hemisphere navigation techniques.

And if he's a hottie, have sex with him.
You a girl?

Yes, but before there weren't many electronic things on the planet. This change is rather slow, but very violent to the delicate electronics of today. Luckily, since this won't happen in our lifetimes and computers will be very different, it won't really have much of an effect on us other than the massive boost in radiation that hits the planet's surface. (More radiation = More mutation = More chances for evolution to occur. Can't people see that? I like mixing topics)
Mostly skin cancer I would think, but some more evolution too I guess.

In fact, forget about the navigation techniques.

*opens another browser window*

You a girl?

Erm...yes? No wait...is this a trick question? NO! Erm...

Drat, this one's onto me...~

Mostly skin cancer I would think, but some more evolution too I guess.
Skin cancer would be a major problem.

Erm...yes? No wait...is this a trick question? NO! Erm...

Drat, this one's onto me...~
Just wondering. No trick.

So, I went to my favorite End-o-World scenarios site, Exit-Mundi, and found their article on flipping poles. While towards the beginning of the article they outline the seeming nasty parts (as their method always is) at the end they point out some amusing facts about what changes will occur. For example, while cancer rates will rise, they will only rise at the tune of 15 more cases per million than current rates. Or the fact that eskimos live in a land without the benefit of a magnetic shield. Or the fact that the atmosphere will make a nice temporary shield as well. So, that's just some stuff.

http://www.exitmundi.nl/poleshift.htm

I like Exit-Mundi.

Skin cancer would be a major problem.
bah, just slather on the sunscreen.

bah, just slather on the sunscreen.
They would have to increase its potentila. besides, I hate sunscreen. It makes you fell uncomfortable, like your trapped.

http://www.colby.edu/personal/b/bfrueger/141/141_lecture27.ppt

Powerpoint that includes a chart somewhere in there showing the times of change in the poles.

Well, we certainly got all this techno-goodies just in time. 3000 years is quite a long study time for scientists ;)

Well, we certainly got all this techno-goodies just in time. 3000 years is quite a long study time for scientists ;)
That's what you think

They would have to increase its potentila. besides, I hate sunscreen. It makes you fell uncomfortable, like your trapped.

Ya, i hate it when cream demobilizes me.

When the sun goes nova in a billion years or three, we'll totally lack a planet!

When the sun goes nova in a billion years or three, we'll totally lack a planet!
We'll lack more than one. besides, I plan to blow up earth in my lifetime.

That's what you think
Huh? What do you mean by that? :confused:

When the sun goes nova in a billion years or three, we'll totally lack a planet!
Thank you, captain obvious. :rolleyes:
And it's around 5 bil, last I heard.

We'll lack more than one. besides, I plan to blow up earth in my lifetime.

Ok fine. Just make it after 2051... if I make it to that, I have a pact to carry out.

Thank you, captain obvious. :rolleyes:
And it's around 5 bil, last I heard.

Hey, if folks are trying to plan for something that may not happen for 10,000 years (pretty much the recorded span of human history), then what's the difference to plan for a few billion out? :D

Pfah. These are the same guys that forget to convert from standard to metric when landing on Mars...

It has happened before. It'll happen again. What's the problem?

It has happened before. It'll happen again. What's the problem?
We have sensitive, hi-tech gadgets that rely on electromagnetism. THAT's the problem! ;)

Just what we needed on top of pandemics from Asia, increased rate of Earthquakes, the overdue explosion of the Yellowstone National park supervolcano, global warming ...

Just what we needed on top of pandemics from Asia, increased rate of Earthquakes, the overdue explosion of the Yellowstone National park supervolcano, global warming ...
Welcome to Earth: The Carnival Disaster Planet! :D

Thank you, captain obvious. :rolleyes:
And it's around 5 bil, last I heard.

Yeah, the Sun will go nova in around 5 billion years. However, Earth will become unlivable long before that (in circa 500 to 900 million years), because the Sun's radiation is slowly increasing over the millions of years, and by then it will cause a run-away Greenhouse effect and Earth will become similar to Venus. Not that it would matter, humanity will likely be long-since extinct by then.

To get back to the topic, those reversals occur every now and then. It happens in the order of hundred-thousands of years, but in a very irregular pattern.

Did anybody of you folks ever heard about the Cretaceous Magnetic Quiet Zone? ;)

From a practical point of view, I suppose that we shouldn't worry about it. By the time one of these Pole Shifts come along, our technology will have advanced to a level that's probably unthinkable today (assuming humanity is still around,:p ), and we'll probably find some way of dealing with it...maybe a Dyson Sphere around the sun. :D

OH NO! the poles are going to change causing all magnets to have the opposite poles to what they have now. What’s that you say, we can just change the polarity of the magnet. Oh good :p:

Come on people this is absolutely no big deal.

Yeah, the Sun will go nova in around 5 billion years.
The sun is too small to go nova. It will simply shed the layers, unleashing lethal amounts of radiation in the process. Even Pluto will be taking a bath in the radiation, so don't even try hiding there.

Welcome to Earth: The Carnival Disaster Planet! :D

And I haven't even mention the biggest disaster of all, Mr Bush.

:p

The sun is too small to go nova. It will simply shed the layers, unleashing lethal amounts of radiation in the process. Even Pluto will be taking a bath in the radiation, so don't even try hiding there.

I wasn't talking about a supernova, i was just refering to it throwing of it's outer layers and becoming a White Dwarf. If that process isn't called Nova, then what is it?


(note: i'm curious now ;) )

And I haven't even mention the biggest disaster of all, Mr Bush.

:p


*sigh*.

This is why people leave the forums...

Yes. Apparently the ozone layer will go, and we will be exposed to teh sun's deadly UV rays, even more. Then, North will be South, animals with magnetic tracking systems will go haywire and we'll all die.

Exageration. Animals should adapt to teh change over teh years, but we won't...
*ahem*

The ozone layer has nothing to do with it. At the moment the magnetic field shields the Earth from the solar wind, as the poles, which are the weak points, are facing away from the sun. However, during the flip, lots of magnetic poles will appear all over the shop, and that's when the radiation comes in.

There's very little we can do about it, apart from take lots of precautions against UV & cosmic rays when it does happen. We're about 3 times overdue for the flip that's starting now.

They only discovered it happens because they were modelling the fluctuations in the magnetic field (which they already knew happened). Then one day they looked at the results and the poles had flipped. They thought it was just a glitch in the model, but after a while they realised it does actually happen.

I wasn't talking about a supernova, i was just refering to it throwing of it's outer layers and becoming a White Dwarf. If that process isn't called Nova, then what is it?


(note: i'm curious now ;) )
Right off the top of my head, I do not remember what its called, unfortunately.

When the sun goes nova in a billion years or three, we'll totally lack a planet!
Is that just three years, or three billion years?
And the magnetic poles reversing is really just a conspiracy by compass makers to make more money. If you think about it it's obvious.

*ahem*

The ozone layer has nothing to do with it. At the moment the magnetic field shields the Earth from the solar wind, as the poles, which are the weak points, are facing away from the sun. However, during the flip, lots of magnetic poles will appear all over the shop, and that's when the radiation comes in.

There's very little we can do about it, apart from take lots of precautions against UV & cosmic rays when it does happen. We're about 3 times overdue for the flip that's starting now.

They only discovered it happens because they were modelling the fluctuations in the magnetic field (which they already knew happened). Then one day they looked at the results and the poles had flipped. They thought it was just a glitch in the model, but after a while they realised it does actually happen.
The UV and cosmic rays still have to go through our atmosphere, but some WILL make it through, but not much, according to exit mundi.

I don't know if anybody is aware of this, but according to fossil record, the impact of such magnetic reversal events on life on Earth is probably negligible. For example, the Dinosaurs did expirience hundreds of such reversal events, and it didn't kill them. :)

So, i think there's nothing to worry about from the biological point of view, really. It may however be that our technology could suffer from the event. When there are eruptions on the surface of the sun, it occasionally happens that satellites in Earth's orbit become scrambled/damaged. Unless we find a solution by then (which i assume is rather likely since it's in 1000 years), we might suffer such occasional problems on the surface of the Earth as well. But other than that, we should have no trouble at all.

Uh, it's happened so many times before and hasn't affected life on earth. Stop freaking out over nothing. If anything, we should try not to navigate with the magnetic poles.

And also, who says there will be anyone around in 1000 years. At the rate we're going, we'll be fucked in 100.

Is that just three years, or three billion years?
And the magnetic poles reversing is really just a conspiracy by compass makers to make more money. If you think about it it's obvious.

3 billion.

Actually, it's all part of the Australian/New Zealand plot to take over the Earth. Foster's beer, Lord of the Rings, flip the poles and voila! Instant hegemony!! :D

I wasn't talking about a supernova, i was just refering to it throwing of it's outer layers and becoming a White Dwarf. If that process isn't called Nova, then what is it?


(note: i'm curious now ;) )
It's certainly not a nova.

I can't even remember if that process has a name other than the death and collapse of a star. That's what it is, afterall.

And that's not for another 5 billion years for our sun... well, more, 5 billion years is when our sun becomes a red giant. Nothing we can do to prevent the earth from becoming uninhabital there. If humans still exist, hopefully we'll have the technology to pick up and move.

The UV and cosmic rays still have to go through our atmosphere, but some WILL make it through, but not much, according to exit mundi.
Yes, but most of the solar wind is currently deflected by the magnetic field, that's my point. The extra magnetic poles will be weak points, and much more radiation will reach the atmosphere in the first place (the north & south poles don't face towards the sun).

Not much more actually has to make it through to drastically increase incidence of cancer, as we're evolved to cope with current levels. Having said that, it's not going to kill us all off, by any means.

The UV and cosmic rays still have to go through our atmosphere, but some WILL make it through, but not much, according to exit mundi.

Exit mundi is ignoring the collapse odf the van allen radiation belts that are held in place by the magnetic field. These are effectively areas of high energy particles, kept in place by a magnetic bottle effect. These particles are energized by solar winds and have energies in the millions of eV ranges.
Linky (http://lasp.colorado.edu/strv/vanallen_strv.html)
UV will not be directly affected as light carries no electrical charge and the magnetic field is transparent to it. If the release of the particles from the Van Allen belts does serious damage to the ozone layer, a distinct possibility, then we will have to worry about UV.
Buy shares in sun block and Farraday cage manufacturers is what we can do about it.

Yes, but most of the solar wind is currently deflected by the magnetic field, that's my point. The extra magnetic poles will be weak points, and much more radiation will reach the atmosphere in the first place (the north & south poles don't face towards the sun).

Not much more actually has to make it through to drastically increase incidence of cancer, as we're evolved to cope with current levels. Having said that, it's not going to kill us all off, by any means.
Agreed.

Btw, if anybody is interested in regard for paleo-magnetism, check out the file below:

http://www.stratigraphy.org/scale04.pdf

On the last page, there is a stratigraphic table which also shows paleo-magnetism during the past 500 or so million years (in the table refered to as 'Polarity Chron'). :D

Btw, if anybody is interested in regard for paleo-magnetism, check out the file below:

http://www.stratigraphy.org/scale04.pdf

On the last page, there is a stratigraphic table which also shows paleo-magnetism during the past 500 or so million years (in the table refered to as 'Polarity Chron'). :D
Cool

OH NO! the poles are going to change causing all magnets to have the opposite poles to what they have now. What’s that you say, we can just change the polarity of the magnet. Oh good :p:

Come on people this is absolutely no big deal.

it is a big deal because the magnetic fields divert a lot of harmful rays....if the feilds mess up then we will begin to se 4 or more northss and south's and the rays will be diverted to where your living...cancer levels will shot up when this happens...the good thing tho is that you would have more chance seing the aurora at the equator... :D

Isn't that when the earth flips upside down?
All that happens is the magnetic poles flip flop. So your compass will point south.

On average, the poles reverse every few hundred thousand years. But even when they aren't reversing, the magnetic poles wander around the globe, sometimes quite fast. One important thing to know is that, even when the poles reverse, there is no time when the magnetic field disappears. So, it is still there to protect Earth's inhabitants from solar storms, and radiation. There is no evidence from the past that magnetic changes have affected life significantly. I do remember reading somewhere that magnetism might play a role in bird migrations, but the changes are so slow that the birds can adjust to the changes through generations

altho i could be wrong...heres an anomynous students opinion :D

it is a big deal because the magnetic fields divert a lot of harmful rays....if the feilds mess up then we will begin to se 4 or more northss and south's and the rays will be diverted to where your living...cancer levels will shot up when this happens...the good thing tho is that you would have more chance seing the aurora at the equator... :D
Current estimates put the rise of cancer rates in the event of a polar flip at about 15 more per million. While that sucks, there's far worse things in the world. Espescially with operable, preventable cancers like melanomas.

Pfftt we all saw the movies The Core (http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&id=1807859491&cf=info&intl=us) all we hafta do is set off some nukes and get that core spining on the right track :)

Current estimates put the rise of cancer rates in the event of a polar flip at about 15 more per million. While that sucks, there's far worse things in the world. Espescially with operable, preventable cancers like melanomas.

really....phew thats good news...where did you find that out :D

I have a prediction, sales of sunscreen and lightweight anti-UV clothing will skyrocket.

Pfftt we all saw the movies The Core (http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&id=1807859491&cf=info&intl=us) all we hafta do is set off some nukes and get that core spining on the right track :)

Umm, just in the case you don't know (For the sake of sanity, i hope you know), "The Core" is one of the worst and inconsistent films in existence. Their violation of the laws of physics are just remarkable. ;)

Soooooo.... Does that mean we're all gonna die..?

Well, in that case,

IA! CTHULHU FTAGHN!