Baw2198 From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 633 posts, RR: 6 Posted (6 years 9 months 2 weeks 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 1493 times:
I haven't read an article or anything on it yet. I got to thinking the other day at work. I recall my physics teacher back in high school telling us that about every 10000 years or so, the earth's magnetic poles swap. South becomes North and so on. With the weird weather the midwest US has been experiencing this spring (cold temps, lots of rain, wind) and probably elsewhere as well. Would this pole swap phenomenom change WX patterns and potentially climates in different regions?
"And remember, Keep your stick on the ice"--->Red Green
CanadianNorth From Canada, joined Aug 2002, 3354 posts, RR: 12 Reply 2, posted (6 years 9 months 2 weeks 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 1478 times:
Yeah, there is alot of f***ed up weather these days, but personally I think its probably climate change, not the magnetic poles switching. But I suppose its possible. I should talk to my science teacher from last symester (talked about this to us when I had him last simester, and I will most likely have him for a physics teacher next year).
So for now I'll second EGGD's answer... Yes it would cause the wierd weather when it happens, but I don't think its happening now.
Klaus From Germany, joined Jul 2001, 19916 posts, RR: 57 Reply 3, posted (6 years 9 months 2 weeks 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 1468 times:
The first evidence for a pole swap is already visible: The magnetic poles are shifting rather rapidly and the field is weakening. How quickly a reversal would happen is not quite clear yet, as far as I know, but it could be within the next few decades according to some theories.
The weather could be influenced by changes in the amount of cosmic radiation and ionized particles reaching the earth due to reduced field strength, but it´s not clear yet how intense such an influence might be.
AGC525 From United States of America, joined Sep 2004, 989 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (6 years 9 months 2 weeks 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 1406 times:
Ok, how can you tell when it last switched???
Are there cave man drawings that depict toilet water flushing in the opposite direction?
American Aviation: From Kitty Hawk to the Moon in 66 years!
Seb146 From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 8296 posts, RR: 20 Reply 7, posted (6 years 9 months 2 weeks 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 1399 times:
I don't know how they figured out the poles shifting but at the Washington Park MAX station, they have a tube that runs through the station. The Washington Park station could still be the deepest station stop in North America. Before they built the Westside line, archeologists and engeneers boared down to test the soil. They kept the sample and put it in a long tube. At the station, they have a timeline telling how many million years ago a certain point is, when pole shifts occured, and what the weather was like in the region at any given point. It is fascinating stuff. Off the top of my head, I don't remember when they said the last pole shift occured, but it is labled in there.
GO CANUCKS!!
Wheel of morality turn, turn, turn. Tell us the lesson that we should learn
MrChips From Canada, joined Mar 2005, 818 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (6 years 9 months 2 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 1376 times:
I think you guys have watched a bit too much of "The Core".
It is highly doubtful that a magentic pole shift/switch would cause weird weather...I would be more concerned with other effects, such as strong geomagnetic activity damaging satellites, electronics, power grids, etc. Also, if I'm not mistaken, the ozone layer would be depleted considerably, meaning more UV radiation would reach the surface of the Earth.
On the other hand, the ionosphere would be much stronger than we know it now, due to the increase of high-energy ionizing radiation reachingthe atmosphere...subsequently, shortwave/HAM enthusiasts would have a heyday, provided they can cut through all the static.
Overall, we wouldn't see a huge effect from this...cancer rates would go up (I heard that it would only increase by 1 or 2 per 10,000 people), auroras would be visible all over Earth, and we would have problems with satellites, power grids and the like.
Quoting AGC525 (Reply 6): Ok, how can you tell when it last switched???
As for how we know how often the poles shift, it is some rather ingenious science.
As molten iron cools in a magnetic environment, iron crystals align themselves with the magnetic field that is present. In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, there is a gigantic opening in the Earth's crust called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Scientists discovered that as you move away from this ridge in either direction, the iron crystals in the rocks found there are aligned in different directions, forming alternating bands of rocks aligned north and south respectively. Since we know how quickly the seafloor is spreading apart, we can then estimate how often the poles switch...it works out to roughly once every 250,000-300,000 years.
Sacflyer From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 371 posts, RR: 3 Reply 9, posted (6 years 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 1296 times:
What weird weather are we talking about?
Did you confuse "The Day After Tomorrow" with real life?
I'm just happy that RR ratings can't be in negative numbers!
CanadianNorth From Canada, joined Aug 2002, 3354 posts, RR: 12 Reply 11, posted (6 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 1226 times:
me: "hey I have a question"
science and physics teacher at my school: "ok what is it"
me: "are the magnetic poles swapping because I heard on airliners.net that thats whats causing wierd weather"
teacher: "no they're not, and even if they were it wouldn't affect the weather"
me: "ok thanks"
teacher: "no problem"
Klaus From Germany, joined Jul 2001, 19916 posts, RR: 57 Reply 12, posted (6 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 1224 times:
"No, they´re not! is definitely false.
It is not certain when it will happen exactly, but it most certainly will.
Claiming that it wouldn´t affect the weather at all is also a bit much. It is considered quite likely that there will be an influence., it just won´t be directly noticeable for all we know today.
Your teacher is obviously a friend of strong (over)simplifications.
Aerorobnz From Rwanda, joined Feb 2001, 5660 posts, RR: 14 Reply 14, posted (6 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 20 hours ago) and read 1205 times:
It'd be great if it did, That way you Northern Hemisphere countries that are pumping out all the Chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere would have to live with the consequences instead of giving all of us in Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica skin cancer from the massive Ozone hole that sits over us...
Lots of things would change, prevailing winds would probably be going the other direction (earth rotation) and causing different climatic effects in places you wouldn't expect. You can guarantee the aviation industry would be temporarily set back until the new coordinated and winds etc had been accounted for.
Klaus From Germany, joined Jul 2001, 19916 posts, RR: 57 Reply 16, posted (6 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 1183 times:
Aerorobnz: It'd be great if it did, That way you Northern Hemisphere countries that are pumping out all the Chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere would have to live with the consequences instead of giving all of us in Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica skin cancer from the massive Ozone hole that sits over us...
We´ve got our own ozone hole up here, don´t worry...
Aerorobnz: Lots of things would change, prevailing winds would probably be going the other direction (earth rotation) and causing different climatic effects in places you wouldn't expect. You can guarantee the aviation industry would be temporarily set back until the new coordinated and winds etc had been accounted for.
Uh, no. The magnetic poles swap from time to time - the geographical poles do not, of course!
Aerorobnz From Rwanda, joined Feb 2001, 5660 posts, RR: 14 Reply 17, posted (6 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 1177 times:
Quoting Klaus (Reply 16): Uh, no. The magnetic poles swap from time to time - the geographical poles do not, of course!
Damn, a topsy-turvy world was something to look forward to. I knew something didn't make sense when I was thinking about it, I was drawing the globe on an axis and thinking to myself that can't happen but I was just caught up in the idea and decided to make a public fool of myself. Oh well. Us Antipodeans always wanted to be on top of the world.
LambertSTL777 From United States of America, joined Jun 2004, 218 posts, RR: 2 Reply 21, posted (6 years 9 months 1 week 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 1091 times:
Quoting EGGD (Reply 1): but it's not happening right now.
(see below)
Quoting AGC525 (Reply 6): Ok, how can you tell when it last switched???
As stated by other replies, Geologists can see with samples of earth that date back millions of years
...Alot of scientists are quite certain it IS happening now.. And I'm pretty sure they know a little bit more than your physics teacher. I'll try to find links for you. The Science Channel as well as Discovery have had a few specials on it too
Triple shifts everday 6/19 - 7/1..Won't be on much
LambertSTL777 From United States of America, joined Jun 2004, 218 posts, RR: 2 Reply 23, posted (6 years 9 months 1 week 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 1063 times:
Quoting Theredbaron (Reply 22): One thing is certain global warming is a FACT, today we hit 33 in Mexico city, then it got windy and now its hovering at 12 celcius..and rainy....
Sounds more like a coldfront, than global warming
At the world's current rate, by the year 2050, the world's average temp will rise by 8 degrees (F), and the seas will rise by 230ft. Scary stuff, huh? *Source - my AP Earth Science teacher, who has a Masters degree in Earth Science...As well as MANY leading meterologists and scientists..*
Triple shifts everday 6/19 - 7/1..Won't be on much
Sponsor Message: 
From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 633 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2001, 12405 posts, 
From Canada, joined Aug 2002, 3354 posts, 
From Germany, joined Jul 2001, 19916 posts, 
From Netherlands, joined Dec 2002, 3008 posts, 
From Rwanda, joined Feb 2001, 5660 posts, 
From Australia, joined Apr 2004, 767 posts, 
From Mexico, joined Mar 2005, 1513 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
