A team of Chinese scientists has revealed that North America’s geomagnetic shield is weakening rapidly, while field strength increases in the eastern hemisphere. Led by Professor Fang Hanxian from the National University of Defence Technology, the study, published in Review of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, links this change to the shifting of the geomagnetic poles from the west to the east. This phenomenon, they claim, is causing an “exceptionally fast” decline in the magnetic field’s strength over North America.
By reconstructing the global magnetic field since 1900, the researchers found that North America’s magnetic field strength peaked from 1930 to 1990. Since 2020, however, it has decreased significantly, nearing the global average. Professor Fang noted that the magnetic pole in the northern hemisphere has drifted eastward at around 10 kilometers per year for the past century. But since 2000, the rate of movement has exceeded 50 kilometers per year, far outpacing the southern hemisphere’s pole shift.
In contrast to North America’s weakening field, areas like Australia, the North Atlantic, and Africa are seeing faster growth in geomagnetic strength.
Earth’s geomagnetic field, known as the magnetosphere, acts as a protective shield against cosmic radiation and solar wind, which can strip away atmospheric particles. This dynamic barrier, strengthened by the Van Allen Belts, plays a vital role in maintaining the planet’s atmosphere. Interestingly, historical data suggest that low geomagnetic fields may have influenced the collapse of civilizations, such as the Maya, as well as ancient societies in Iran and Syria.
This finding raises concerns about North America’s exposure to cosmic radiation, as a weaker magnetic field could potentially allow harmful solar and cosmic energy to penetrate closer to Earth.
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