is earths magnetic pulse stable or unstable?
475082
it isn't a pulse, it's more like a wave, and it is stable. believe me, you'd know if it wasn't.
16892
yes, magnetic fields have nothing to do with air density or gravity or any conditions that differ between space and earth, so there is absolutely no reason at all they wouldnt work in space.
126028
Currently, the earth's north magnetic pole moves about 40 kilometers per year.  The rate has varied considerably; it was only 10 km per year a century ago.
513594
No, the magnetic poles are off from the geographic poles by several miles (perhaps even hundreds of miles, I don't recall exactly how much).
156410
Yes, it is likely that we are experiencing a reversal at this time. \n\nThe earth's magnetic field has been decreasing in field strength by about 5% per century in recent times. This is one of the fastest decreases of the magnetic field that has ever been verified. Around 700 AD the earth's magnetic field was about 50% higher than it is now. At this rate, it is estimated that the earth could reach a zero-strength magnetic field in about 2000 years. Magnetic reversals are usually triggered when the field strength approaches zero.  Another indication that some geologists and geophysicists believe may be pointing to a reversal is that the poles have been wandering at a faster rate than is commonly seen in the rock record. This instability of the magnetic field suggests we may be close to a reversal. \n\nAlso consider that since we have never experienced a reversal this is hardly a certainty. The earth's magnetic field fluctuates quite widely during what are known as 'excursions', and these are as frequent as every 50,000 years. Our current changes in the magnetic field may result in nothing more than an excursion, which is not a reversal of the field. There have been at least 11 of these excursions since the last reversal at 730,000 years before present. \n\nI've done magnetostratigraphic work.
561324
No one possesses the right technology to destroy the earth's magnetic field.  Just leave it alone anyway it's always on the move.   Now the magnetic north pole i.e. where all compass really point is not the earth's North Pole, all compasses point to Prince something Island off the eastern side of Canada.  This is why on maps you will find what is called a declination angle to help in navigation.\nThroughout the earth's history, the pole has reversed every few million years.   Now, if a significant reversal should happen, that would be catastrophic in several ways.  Animals would no longer migrate the right direction, and all our technology used for navigation would have to be re calibrated.  The earth has a magetic field so that lethal amounts of solar radiation particles go around us instead of hitting the crust.
1173935
Magnetic field has to do with the polarize charge of material, such as Iron.  \n\nIt is believed there is significant Iron near the center of the earth and yes rotation will cause the charges to align and thus create a magnetic field.  This is called the "Dynamo Theory".\n\nJUST BEING IRON DOES NOT MAKE THINGS MAGNETIC.\n\n"Previous theorists have assumed that the entire Core (or the Inner and/or Outer Core) rotates as a single flowing object within the Earth. If that were the case, then all of the charged (ionized) Iron material  would follow a relatively circular path around a single axis that we could call the Magnetic Axis. Basic Physics tells us that when electrical charges follow a closed (relatively) circular path (which is effectively a current), a magnetic field is always created as a result. The measurable evidence of this scenario would be a simple "dipole" magnetic field, with a single North Pole and a single South Pole, geographically exactly opposite each other on the surface of the Earth."\n\nSo if this theory where correct the Earth stopping it's rotation would in allow the magnetic field to fad.  But there are major problems with the theory.  For example it is known that the magnetic poles have flipped (Switched places) several time in Earths past.  Will if we have magnetic poles because of the earth's rotation to switch poles we'd need to reverse the cores rotation.  This would be an ungodly amount of energy.  There is nothing known that would do this once let alone a number of times.  And even if something could do it, we should have seen signs of the massive damage that would have resulted with these forces in play, like the Earth falling apart.   But in fact the poles shifting seems to be a pretty peaceful process on a planetary scale. \n\nAnd that is only one problem with the theory.  This is actually a very, very complex subject and there really is no way to know what effect the Earth stopping would have on the magnetic fields.  But I have attached a link to a very good article on the subject and it's pretty easy reading (Keeps the scientific jargon down and uses layman terms.)\n\nOthers are correct tough in what holds us to the Earth is gravity, not magnetics.  So it's the Mass (How big and dense it is) that keeps us here.  And rotation actually wants to make thing's fly away from it.  So we stay because the Earths gravity overcomes the acceleration.  So the acceleration of 1000mph is actually always enacting upon us, making us want to fly off the planet.  So stopping the Earth will not make us fly off as others have posted.\n\nThink of the spinning rids at the fairs and theme parks.  When you spin you are thrown away from the axis, the best example is the cylinder you go in and stand up against the wall.  When it spins your back is pushed against the wall, even as it turns so you are now spinning vertically like a tired, instead of horizontal like a top.  But when they stop the ride you don't go flying out.  That's because the wall holds you in and your move with the ride.  Well gravity acts like the wall and you move with the earth.\n\nYou would go flying of the earth if it continued to rotate and the gravity field somehow disappeared.
681503
I'm entertaining the hell/purgatory theory and the (reletively) simple theory having to do with the magnetic field on the island. I'm leaning towards the scientific theory, that all this crazy stuff happens and people are affcted by and because of the magnetic field.
1167649
Not quite! The direction the water goes down the plug-hole depends on whther you are in the northern or southern hemisphere. It has nothing to do with magnetic fields, but everything to do with the coreolis effect, which is caused by the direction in which the Earth is spinning.
840444
The origin of the Earth's magnetic field is not completely understood, but is thought to be associated with electrical currents produced by the coupling of convective effects and rotation in the spinning liquid metallic outer core of iron and nickel. This mechanism is generally known as the dynamo effect. \n\nBecause of the rotating outer core,it produces an electric current, which in turn, produces a magnetic field that also interacts with the fluid motion to create a secondary magnetic field. Together, the two fields are stronger than the original and lie essentially along the axis of the Earth's rotation.
945616
Earth\n\n In our Solar System , planet Earth is the third in distance from the Sun and the fifth largest in diameter. The mean distance of the Earth from the Sun is 149,503,000 km, and radius varies from 6378 km in the equator to 6356 km in polar direction. It is the only planet known to support (intelligent) life, although some of the other planets have atmospheres and contain water (it has been shown lately that there could have been some life in ancient Mars!)\nFor the space physicist, the most important aspect of the Earth is that it behaves as an enormous magnet. The English physician and natural philosopher William Gilbert was the first to demonstrate this similarity in about 1600, although the effects of terrestrial magnetism had been utilized much earlier in primitive compasses. In first order the magnetic field created by this magnet is that of a dipole whose axis is tilted with respect to the spin axis by about 11 degrees. The north magnetic pole is presently located off the western coast of Bathurst Island, in the Canadian Northwest Territories, almost 1290 km northwest of Hudson Bay. The south magnetic pole is presently situated at the edge of the Antarctic continent in Adélie Land about 1930 km northeast of Little America. The magnetic field points down towards the surface of the Earth in the northern hemisphere, and away from it in the southern hemisphere. The difference between the dipole axis and geographic axis is one of the reasons why there are so many different coordinate systems needed to describe locations in space around the Earth.\n\nThe area around the Earth governed by its magnetic field is called the magnetosphere . The properties of the magnetosphere are strongly affected by the solar wind . The interaction between the solar wind and the magnetosphere is important in space physics.
451560
A magnet is an object that has a magnetic field. The word magnet comes from the Greek (magnētēs lithos), which means "magnesian stone". Magnesia was an area in Ancient Greece, in present-day Manisa, Turkey where deposits of magnetite have been discovered since antiquity.\n\nElectronic generation of magnetism\nElectrons play the primary role in generating a magnetic field. Within an atom, electrons can exist either individually or in pairs within any given orbital. When they are paired, the individuals in that pair always have opposite spin — one up, one down. The fact that the spins have opposite orientation means that the two cancel one another. If all electrons are paired, no net magnetic field will be generated.\n\nIn some atoms, there are electrons that are unpaired. All magnets have unpaired electrons, but not all atoms with unpaired electrons are ferromagnetic. In order for the material to become ferromagnetic, not only must there be unpaired electrons present, but those unpaired electrons must interact with one another over long ranges such that they are all oriented in the same way. The specific electron configuration of the atoms (as well as the distance between atoms) is what leads to this long range ordering. The electrons find that they can exist in a lower energy state if they all have the same orientation.\n\n\nNorth-south pole designation and the Earth's magnetic field\nA standard naming system for the poles of magnets is important. Historically, the terms north and south reflect awareness of the relationship between magnets and the earth's magnetic field. A freely suspended magnet will eventually orient itself north-to-south, because of its attraction to the north and south magnetic poles of the earth. The end of a magnet that points toward the Earth's geographic North Pole is labeled as the north pole of the magnet; correspondingly, the end that points south is the south pole of the magnet.\n\nThe Earth's current geographic north is thus actually its magnetic south. Confounding the situation further, magnetised rocks on the ocean floor show that the Earth's magnetic field has reversed itself in the past, so this system of naming is likely to be backward at some time in the future.\n\nFortunately, by using an electromagnet and the right hand rule, the orientation of the field of a magnet can be defined without reference to the Earth's geomagnetic field.\n\nTo avoid the confusion between geographic and magnetic north and south poles, the terms positive and negative are sometimes used for the poles of a magnet. The positive pole is that which seeks geographical north.\n\n\nCommon uses for magnets\nMagnetic recording media: Common VHS tapes contain a reel of magnetic tape. The information that makes up the video and sound is encoded on the magnetic coating on the tape. This is why magnets will destroy the information in these types of tapes. Common audio cassettes also rely on magnetic tape. Similarly, in computers, floppy disks and hard disks record data on a thin magnetic coating. \nCredit, debit, and ATM cards: All of these cards have a magnetic strip on one of their sides. This strip contains the necessary information to contact an individuals financial institution and connect with their account(s). \nCommon televisions and computer monitors: The vast majority of TV's and computer screens rely in part on an electromagnet to generate an image--see the article on cathode ray tubes for more information. Plasma screens and LCDs rely on different technology entirely. \nLoudspeakers and microphones: Loudspeakers actually rely on a combination of a permanent magnet and an electromagnet. A speaker is fundamentally a device to convert electric energy (the signal) into mechanical energy (the sound). The electromagnet carries the signal, which generates a changing magnetic field that pushes and pulls on the field generated by the permanent magnet. This pushing and pulling moves t
827354
The magnetic field of Earth is caused by molten iron rotating around in the core.  The lines of magnetic flux follow the right-hand rule (RHR).  Curve the fingers of your right hand into a loose fist and extend your thumb upward.\n\nAs the molten iron swirls around in the direction of your curled fingers, the flux is emitted in the direction of your extended thumb.  The flux is created because the swirling molten iron creates an electrical current that follows the swirl.  That current, like a current going through a coil, creates the magnetic flux.\n\nA flux is simply a line of force and that force, like all forces, has direction.  In this case, the force points outward in the direction of your thumb.  That's called the magnetic north pole, by convention.  \n\nHowever, because the magnetic flux exits the Earth at this pole it really is the south pole.  This can be verified because the north pole of a compass needle will point north and, as you well know, north is attracted to south.  Thus, the magnetic north pole is really the south pole...argh...physics is so complicated.\n\nAs to why like poles repel and dissimilar poles attract, blame in on the direction of the forces...the flux of that magnetic current.  (Magnetism does not really flow, but the forces act as though it does.)  Two similar poles either push each other away (e.g., two south poles) or pull away from each other (e.g., two north poles) because the forces are toward or away from the two magnets respectively.  Two dissimilar poles attract each other because the alligned forces pull one toward the other when they are all in the same direction.  [See source.]
167430
We do not really understand what causes the earth's magnetic field, but presumably it is caused by electric currents flowing in the earth, possibly as charged pieces of molten metal move around in the outer core. \n\nSo in this way, the earth's field is due to something more like an electromagnet, which is not destroyed by heat, instead of a permanent magnet, which is destroyed by heat.
698855
The directional North pole of the earth is a magnetic south pole, this is because the north end of a compass points north, and opposites attract, therefore north is...south.\n\nMagnetic lines go from south to north i think, sorry havn't taken electricity/mag class in so long...\n\nanyways, if my thining is correct than it would point towards the directional south\n\ni'd choose "down"
127673
Yes, if the magnetic field disappeared, there would be more radiation reaching the earth and this would cause adaptations to occur.  There's been some research into what has happened to plants and animals around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Russia that melted down and is still leaking radiation.\n\nNow, given that magnetic fields diminish and become spotty during magnetic pole reversal, some adaptation may occur but I'm not sure it will cause wholesale adaptation events.  These reversal events have occured about once every 5,000 to 50,000,000 years and larg land animals have survived for hundreds of millions of years so, yes, I think that they might be able to adapt quickly enough during some periods of low to no magnetic field.\n\nAlso, I think that ocean life will go relatively unaffected because water will help absorb some of this radiation.\n\nHowever, I'm sure some biologist or someone with greater knowledge than myself in this area will come along and prove me wrong. :^)\n\n-- \n\nAfter posting this, I read an article in March 2006 Scientific American on the problems of cosmic rays with respect to interplanetary space travel.  They noted in the article that it is a misconception that the magnetic field is the most significant form of protection from cosmic rays -- that it is the atmosphere itself that provides the greatest source of protection from cosmic rays.\n\nhttp://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&colID=1&articleID=000D6A37-E75F-13F5-A75F83414B7FFE9F
608387
The Earth's center contains a lot of molten iron; due to Earth's rotation, it rotates too, thus generating a magnetic field. It's bit more complicated, but in a nut that's the explanation.