Every five years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the British Geological Survey (BGS) jointly update the World Magnetic Model (WMM). The newest version shows that the Magnetic North Pole continues to shift away from Canada toward Siberia, but it has been slowing down.
The World Magnetic Model
The WMM is a map of the Earth’s magnetic field. The movement of the Magnetic North Pole is so significant because all navigation that relied on magnetic field data must be updated regularly.
“Imagine someone planning to travel by sleigh from a chimneytop in South Africa to a snow-covered roof in the UK, a journey of around 8,500 km,” commented the BGS. “Using the previous WMM and setting off just one degree off-course, he would end…