[net.space] Magnetic Pole Drift

cem@intelca.UUCP (Chuck McManis) (06/15/84)

Actually there are various levels of strata in the crust that exhibit
magnetically aligned elements, which first gave evidence that the poles
were not always in their current North-South configuration. However
all of these were either aligned with north as we know it or directly
opposite, (within some margin of 5-15 degrees I recall but can't state
as a definite fact) There were NO elements aligned in what are considered
east and west directions. Therefore the poles were hypothesized to have
shifted in a Geological nanosecond (probably no more than a year). Why
do they align on the rotational access? Who knows, but they seem to 
only align in that way. 
Random thought : What would it be like living in an equatorial area where
you were at the bottom of an electromagnetic funnel, as the north pole
is now?

-- 
   -- Chuck McManis          Disclaimer : All opinions expressed herein are my
                                          own and not those of my employer, my
ARPAnet : "hplabs!intelca!cem"@Berkeley   friends, or my avacado plant.

{ihnp4,fortune}!Dual!  proper! idi! {ucbvax,hao}!hplabs!
                     \       \    \                    \
                      ------------------------------------ intelca!cem