Polarity of Earth to Reverse

All compases point south very soon

[jranes]

Did anyone watch Nova on PBS last night. Scientists think that the polarity of the earth will reverse itself, very possibly in our lifetime.

They say it happens every 100k years or so and we haven't switched for 700k years. Also right before it switches the strength of the polarity goes way down and over the last 300 years the strength of earth's polarity has gone way down (especially the last 10 years).

Hope it changes soon, perhaps that is what will improve my wife's mood finally.

[edited by: jranes at 6:26 pm (utc) on Nov. 19, 2003]

[DrDoc]

I wonder if some other fun things will happen :)

[Fiver]

hmm, I wonder if this relates to the theory of the earth snapping in its axis, where the poles actually flip.

[jranes]

No, this is proven in the goelogical record and matched by computer models. They discovered the 300 year drop in pottery. The magnetisim of the earth does change from North to South about every 100k years in the goelogical record.

I think the flipping thing is still pretty unproven although it sounds like a lot of fun.

[mayor]

OMG, east becomes west and west becomes east. What a nightmare that will be to mappers, navigation, geography.

Well, with a little luck, west will flip to east at the same time and no one will ever know the difference.

[Chndru]

Any authority links on this interesting subject?

[jranes]

Here is one. I'll find some more later in the day.

[pbs.org...]

two more

[agu.org...]

[google.com...]

[Chndru]

Interesting links, jranes.

You might like this. [psc.edu...]

[Fiver]

I think the flipping thing is still pretty unproven

quite. unless... thats what they want us to think.

[Rugles]

Excellent program last night!