If it weren’t for the magnetic field that surrounds our planet, blocking cosmic radiation and solar wind, Earth would likely have little atmosphere to speak of. Life (at least of the human variety) ...

Since the forces that generate our magnetic field are constantly changing, the field itself is also in continual flux, its strength waxing and waning over time. This causes the location of Earth ...

Likewise, a wire passing through a magnetic field creates an electric current within the wire. This is the basic principle that allows electric motors and generators to operate. In the Earth (see ...

Earth’s magnetic poles are constantly on the move, but they haven’t drifted far enough to actually flip in the modern age. Researchers know that Earth’s poles have flipped in the past ...

But never fear — this shape-shifting won’t directly affect life on Earth. Over time, changes to this innermost layer could impact the planet’s magnetic field, which shields our world from ...

The Earth is in a constant state of flux, and changes are constant on its surface and deep within its core. The shifting tectonic plates, climate variations, and even the movement of the magnetic ...

Creatures from migratory eels and other fish species to insects to birds tap into the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate, sometimes many thousands of miles. But so far, evidence has been scant for any ...

Earth’s magnetic field is not fixed—it drifts, flips, and even weakens over time, altering navigation and planetary protection from solar radiation. Since its discovery in 1831, magnetic north ...

Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images/FILE Turtles can detect all Earth-strength magnetic fields ... field), while the other simulated the magnetic flux of a site near New Hampshire and had no food ...