Smartphone navigation adapts to shifting magnetic pole
Our phones have already adapted to the latest change in the Earth's magnetic pole position, as it continuously shifts towards Siberia. The World Magnetic Model, updated every five years, has just incorporated this change.
Update on the location of the magnetic pole is included in the latest versions of software used in smartphones, which will be in effect until 2030. Contrary to appearances, this affects each of us because navigation in our phones—both Android and iOS—also uses the World Magnetic Model (WMM). The North Pole has begun moving from the Arctic region towards Siberia, necessitating a modification of the global model.
Our phones, as well as the military and ships, use the data
The WMM is managed by the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Information and the British Geological Survey, who develop the data for the U.S. Department of Defense, civil organizations, and NATO. Popular mobile applications also use it.
The model helps determine changes in the Earth's magnetic field and forecast its future alterations. Updates are essential due to the dynamic movements of the field, especially when the magnetic poles wander at speeds of tens of kilometres per year. From time to time, the model has to be corrected because the actual path of the field often diverges from its predictions, affecting navigation accuracy.
Is Earth's pole reversal just a matter of time?
The World Magnetic Model also details the so-called magnetic declination, which is the angle between magnetic north and geographic north. Variations in these declination values can affect navigation systems, including those used in smartphones. Each new version of the model includes temporal corrections that strive to reflect these changes with appropriate accuracy.
Geophysicists indicate that current anomalies in the magnetic field may be a precursor to a future reversal of Earth's poles. The magnetic pole continues to move from Canada's region towards Siberia. Researchers observe current phenomena with concern, emphasizing that about 780,000 years have passed since the last pole swap, which is significantly longer than the average estimates suggest (previously, every 200,000 to 300,000 years).
The magnetic north pole has been constantly shifting for years
The first expedition that reached the magnetic north pole in 1831 discovered it in the area of Cape Adelaide on the Boothia Peninsula, in the Arctic regions of Canada. It is no longer there—it has shifted several hundred kilometres to the northwest. At the beginning of the 21st century, it was already in the waters of the Arctic Ocean, and it is currently moving dynamically towards Siberia in Russia.
The change of Earth's magnetic poles is a phenomenon that could have significant consequences for our planet and technological infrastructure. The weakening of the magnetic field exposes humans and animals to cosmic radiation, and not only—for example, birds may lose their ability to navigate. Preparing for a potential pole change is an important challenge for the scientific and technical community.
