Earth’s magnetic poles could be about to FLIP sparking chaos and mass blackouts
Parts of the planet could be rendered uninhabitable by the reversal, experts have warned
THE Earth's magnetic poles could be about to flip, sparking chaos and making large parts of the planet uninhabitable, it has emerged.
Experts have warned that the change is extremely likely with the magnetic field weakening by 15 per cent over 200 years.
According to an the flip could cause "devastating streams of particles from the sun, galactic cosmic rays, and enhanced ultraviolet B rays from a radiation".
The report warned that satellite timing systems that govern electric grids could fail, causing a ripple effect that would shut off lights, computers and phones. Even flushing the toilet could become impossible, according to the article.
The article shared concerns from Daniel Baker, director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who warned "that parts of the planet will become uninhabitable during a reversal".
But a global apocalypse isn't guaranteed, as NASA explains: "Many doomsday theorists have tried to take this natural geological occurrence and suggest it could lead to Earth's destruction."
"But would there be any dramatic effects? The answer, from the geologic and fossil records we have from hundreds of past magnetic polarity reversals, seems to be 'no'."
What would happen if Earth's magnetic field flips?
- Mass extinction: Some experts believe changes to the magnetic field would allow dangerous particles to rain down on Earth. They say the magnetic field disappears entirely during a flip, leaving us vulnerable. However, this theory proved controversial and several scientists have said mass extinctions are unlikely to be caused by the flip.
- The atmosphere could disapppear: Thankfully, this scenario is highly unlikely. However, it is believed that Mars' atmosphere was stripped by the solar wind because is does not have a strong magnetic field.
- The economy could collapse: The flip could bring down power grids across the world, potentially crashing stock markets and stopping economies from working properly.
Historically, the North and South magnetic poles have flipped every 200,000 to 300,000 years. In fact, they've happened hundreds of times over the past three billion years.
But the flip is now "overdue", according to some - with the last change estimated to have occurred about 780,000 years ago.
Researchers have previously spotted an "anomaly" beneath South Africa which could indicate this rare natural phenomenon is about to hit Earth.
We don't know what the effects on Earth will be, but some say the flip could cause electricity grids to go haywire - which poses the risk of causing economic chaos around the world.
Some experts have even linked pole reversals to mass extinctions, because the reversal could cause dangerous particles to rain down on the planet – but this has never been proven, and is generally regarded in the science community as scaremongering.
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Mathematician and science blogger Robert Walker says that it's "not something to worry about", but says an increase in levels of UV radiation could mean we "need more sunblock" on sunny days.
Geomagnetics expert Dr Monika Korte: "Even if the field becomes very weak, at the Earth's surface we are shielded from radiation by the atmosphere."
"Similarly, as we cannot see or feel the presence of the geomagnetic field now, we most likely would not notice any significant change from a reversal."