On this website from Woods Hole is data on the position over time. Using the 2001 to 2005 data, I did a linear regression of latitude as a function of year. It was a pretty good fit (r^2 = 0.9976) and if I extrapolate it, the magnetic pole does not reach 90 degrees latitude till about 2026, not 2012.
While looking around for the data, I found
this NASA link that talks about pole reversals.
Quote:
|
They've also learned what happens during a magnetic flip. Reversals take a few thousand years to complete, and during that time--contrary to popular belief--the magnetic field does not vanish. "It just gets more complicated," says Glatzmaier. Magnetic lines of force near Earth's surface become twisted and tangled, and magnetic poles pop up in unaccustomed places. A south magnetic pole might emerge over Africa, for instance, or a north pole over Tahiti. Weird. But it's still a planetary magnetic field, and it still protects us from space radiation and solar storms.
|