Despite its importance, the exact mechanisms driving Earth's magnetic field remain elusive. Scientists generally attribute this phenomenon to the geodynamo effect.

When an electric current passes through a metal wire, a magnetic field forms around that wire (see diagram at right). Likewise, a wire passing through a magnetic field creates an electric current ...

The Earth's poles flipped 41,000 years ago in an unusual event saw the magnetic field weaken, allowing cosmic rays to batter the atmosphere. And humans have now heard the terrifying sounds of the ...

Ian Randall is Newsweek's Deputy Science Editor, based in Royston, U.K. His focus is reporting on science and health. He has covered archeology, geology, and physics extensively. Ian joined ...

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs. Earth’s magnetic poles are constantly on the move, but they haven’t drifted far ...

The planet's magnetic North Pole, where compasses point, has been unexpectedly moving toward Russia. While shifting is not a rare occurrence, the pole is moving both faster and differently than it ...