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Can the Earth's Poles shift???
Scientists are just now coming to grips with the
possibiliy that both the Earth's axis may move and the polarity may reverse!
They are not sure if the polar wandering is related to the reversal of
magnetic polarity. Geologists first observed this phenomina when they were
taking core samples of the Mid-Atlantic ridge. Core samples showed that
the direction of magnetic north varied with location. Some samples showed
'true' north while others showed south! Scientists finally explained the
patterns by the theory of Sea Floor Spreading.
Looking at a map of the Earth that shows the ocean basins you will notice
a seem that starts near Iceland in the Mid-Atlantic. The seem travels around
the world in the middle of the oceans basins like a seem on a baseball.
It is from this seem that magma flows to create the great ocean basins.
In the ocean basins is a short record of fluxuation of the Earth's magnetic
field. The record shows that our world's magnetic and North poles have
wandered around like a spinning top. The first link is to a site with the
latest in scientific theory while the second link is to a possible mechinism
to the phenomena.
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