Compasses point in the direction of north – this is well known. But exactly where the magnetic North Pole is located is unclear, because every year it moves a few kilometers, which has important implications for navigation worldwide. Even the smallest changes can shift the coordinates by hundreds of kilometers.

How does the magnetic North Pole arise?

The Earth‘s magnetic field is created deep inside the Earth, where huge streams of molten iron move at the boundary between the Earth’s core and the Earth’s mantle. These currents remain in constant motion through the Earth’s rotation, and in this way electric currents are produced, a magnetic field with two poles: the magnetic North and South poles.

But as these processes within the Earth are constantly shifting, the Earth’s magnetic field changes. And when these currents change or slow down through the shifting of tectonic plates, the magnetic North Pole changes as well.

Which navigation is based on the Earth’s magnetic field;

The World Magnetic Model (WMM), which is updated every five years by the US National Weather Service (NOAA) and the British Geological Survey (BGS), is crucial for the accurate navigation of all military and civilian aircraft, ships, submarines and GPS devices.

The WMM is used by NATO, the US Department of Defense, the US Federal Aviation Administration and the International Hydrographic Organization, among others. And in the current period of conflict and instability, where there are states like Russia and China that repeatedly seek to “tamper” with navigation and location systems, accurate navigation is of immense strategic importance.

WMM is also utilized by almost all map and navigation apps, as well as smartphone GPS services, which are updated based on new changes.

The scientific community waited a long time for the new update and now the World Magnetic Model 2025 has been published, which will be valid until 2029. For the first time, an additional, second high-resolution model has even been published, which offers the possibility of significantly higher navigation accuracy.

Which way is the magnetic North Pole headed?

At the turn of the century the magnetic North Pole was located near the Northeast Passage in Canada, one of the most important routes of world navigation. Today it is located well to the north, near the geographic North Pole. In 2018, it crossed the International Date Line in the direction of the Eastern Hemisphere.

Within the last 20 years it has moved at an impressive speed in the direction of Siberia – by about 50 kilometers per year. Five years ago, however, its displacement suddenly slowed to just 35 km/year. “A similar behaviour of the magnetic North Pole as the current one has never been observed before,” says William Brown of BGS. “This is the largest deceleration ever recorded.”

Why is the strength of the magnetic field important?

For life on Earth the important thing is not exactly where the magnetic poles are located, but in particular how strong they are. And since records began (starting 175 years ago) the Earth’s magnetic field has weakened by about 10% – for reasons as yet unknown.

The weaker the Earth’s magnetic field, the more difficult it is for many species of animals, such as whales, butterflies, sea turtles, and many species of birds, to orient themselves.

In addition, a strong Earth’s magnetic field protects the Earth from aggressive cosmic radiation and solar winds. A weaker magnetic field, on the other hand, reduces the protective ozone layer, so that dangerous UV rays can penetrate more easily, especially in the polar regions. Geostationary satellites are also less protected when the Earth’s magnetic field is weaker – and can be more affected by radiation or space particles, which may also have a significant impact on communications.