I was watching Lou Dobbs and according to a professor from the University of Rochester, the magnetic sphere around Earth has weakened by about 10-15% since the beginning of the 20th century. Also he states that the Magnetosphere is reversing, meaning that compass’ will point South instead of North. The last reversal like this happened about 780,000 years ago. It seems that satellites over the South Atlantic are suffering damage due to the weakness of the Magnetosphere there. What is going on, and what impact will this have on humanity, and Earth?
These are called polarity reversals if I am not mistaken, and many other threads have been posted on the subject. Its always ok to start another one, but you could look back to check it out. Evidence points out that it has happened several times before there is argument as to whether there are any other major changes that coincide. One thing that is known is that there is no evidence to correlate any type of mass extinction with the polarity reversals. I believe that the most it will do, if it even happens in our lifetime, is give us trouble with our satellites and change protocals and design for space craft orbiting the earth. Later T
Some birds will have trouble navigating, perhaps. I don't imagine this is the sort of event that happens overnight.
Thats the thing. Itll be disaster if it doesnt happen overnight. Will humans survive when the magnetism of the Earth is weakest? And if so... how long could we survive the exposure.
I don't believe that there is any correlation in the fossil record to mass extinctions that consistently correspond to previous polar reversals, which are well-deliniated in the seafloor due to spreading from places like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
I don't think that a magnetic field reversal will have any severe reprecussion towards life on the planet ... except it will have an influence on current technology that relies on the current field orientation and migrating species will become temporarily disoriented. Though as some articles suggest ... the magnetic field is weakening prior to the supposed reversal of the field orientation. If the field weakens enough ... it may allow more UV and other harmful radiation to strike the surface of the planet and may pose a greater health issues.
I think I read somewhere that the biggest effect that we should see is the collapse of our satalite network. Communications, weapons, navigation, etc. both the loss of natural radiation shielding as well as confustion of navigational programs, many will come crashing down.
And what about those Coronal Ejections? I dont think we will get much protection when the Earth's magnetism is weak.
In that would be the case, we would have to cross our figers and hope one of those CME's don't come our direction while the field is at it's weakest. Beacuse if that were to happen, then we would have to be more fearful about our lives than losing our orbiting satellites.
Hopefully humanity will be smart enough by then to find a way to survive the weak magnetism of the reverse.
