4 ms·
Geomagnetic reversal is not some atomic event but a gradual process lasting for several kY. Different parts of the Earth are in different stages of of the rever
by basementcat 9y ago
Geomagnetic reversal is not some atomic event but a gradual process lasting for several kY. Different parts of the Earth are in different stages of of the reversal, some further along than others.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Atlantic_Anomaly https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Atlantic_Anomaly
- ChuckMcM 9y ago"Atomic" no, but there is evidence it isn't kY either. The article I linked was one of many that discussed the implications of the paper "Extremely rapid directional change during Matuyama-Brunhes geomagnetic polarity reversal" [1] published in 2014. In that paper, the authors studied different Lava flows that suggested a reversal can happen in a single human lifetime, with a change as rapid as 6 degrees per day. I believe that a polarity change in fewer than 100 generations would be challenging for most species that see or use the magnetic field to adapt. [1] https://academic.oup.com/gji/article/199/2/1110/618671 https://academic.oup.com/gji/article/199/2/1110/618671