I am by no means an expert but is it possible that the holes in the ozone follow the poles? Just thinking that maybe there is a relationship between where the poles are (or ought to be) and where the ozone deficiencies actually are.
Ozone molecules are paramagnetic, so they are influenced by magnetism. They are carried nortwhards by the terrestrial magnetic field, but the influence of the magnetic field is related to horizontal movements of the ozone masses (in small amounts) but there is no connection with magnetism <b>and ozone formation</b>, as magnetism does not break apart the oxygen molecule. There are much greater forces acting in the ozone formation, mainly UV radiation (UV-C and lower wavelengths) splitting the oxygen molecule. Also, chemistry seems to play a very minor role, combined with physics on the surface of Polar Stratospheric Clouds that allows for chlorine to destroy some ozone at very high altitudes -only when temperature goes below -79ยบ C. Go here and see a study about why the magnetic field is acting strange: http://www.tmgnow.com/repository/global/planetophysical.html PLANETOPHYSICAL STATE OF THE EARTH AND LIFE By DR. ALEXEY N. DMITRIEV* Abstract: Current PlanetoPhysical alterations of the Earth are becoming irreversible. Strong evidence exists that these transformations are being caused by highly charged material and energetic non-uniformity's in anisotropic interstellar space which have broken into the interplanetary area of our Solar System. This "donation" of energy is producing hybrid processes and excited energy states in all planets, as well as the Sun. Effects here on Earth are to be found in the acceleration of the magnetic pole shift, in the vertical and horizontal ozone content distribution, and in the increased frequency and magnitude of significant catastrophic climatic events. There is growing probability that we are moving into a rapid temperature instability period similar to the one that took place 10,000 years ago. The adaptive responses of the biosphere, and humanity, to these new conditions may lead to a total global revision of the range of species and life on Earth. It is only through a deep understanding of the fundamental changes taking place in the natural environment surrounding us that politicians, and citizens a like, will be able to achieve balance with the renewing flow of PlanetoPhysical states and processes.
Do any of you know wether or not solar winds could cause total devastation to the life on our planet?
Not sure if solar winds themselves wreak havoc but I trust the disturbances in our weather they cause would. If the atmosphere turns into a windstorm then we had better learn to burrough with our hands, grow food and raise livestock underground. Yep. Doomed.
LFC depends what you mean. if a planet didnt have the protection we do and still produced life that life would probably be resistant to the problems of solar winds or it wouldnt have survived at all
As long there is normal solar activity (sunspots) the solar wind does not harm to living things. Solar wind is solar magnetic acivity, and it pretoects Earth from a heavy shower of cosmic rays. Why are you people worrying about things without importance? We live in a dangerous world, in a dangerous solar system, in a dangerous galaxy. So cool down your neurosis and try to live happy, and enjoy simple and common things.
I did not read all this thread or even your long post, but in your first sections, you do not seem to know the difference between "atoms" and ions. Magnetic fields have very weak effect on most atoms (iron, nickel and a few others being the exceptions) and essentially no direct effect on the main body of the atmosphere (at least 90% of its mass) where all the gases are atoms not ions. (I think the only direct movement effect is the Stern-Gerlock effect and it is very hard to demonstrate - I think they got a Noble prize for showing it is real - that is how weak the effect is. There is also the Zeeman effect, but it only slightly changes the spectra and does not move the atoms.) What you state about ATOMS being guided in accelerators etc. is simply wrong. The presence or absense of magnetic field has very little DIRECT effect upon the dense part of the atmosphere. I hope others have pointed out that harsh UV from the sun would be greatly increased by the absence of the IONOsphere if the earth's magnetic were weaker or absent and the temperature profile of the atmosphere would be somewhat different, but I don't think changed significantly at the surface. In short, atmospheric atoms don't have "polarity"
hello, i was asked to try and find out by my science teacher what is/has caused the poles to change/ing. is it to do with the core, moon or anything like that? also could you possibly tell me when the next switch might be, and is there a forimle to work it out? i hope you can help, confused 14 year old with large intrest, tasha
The magnetic field is caused by an electric current generated by flow in the outer, liquid part of the Earth's core. It's a sort of self-sustaining dynamo. It is in the nature of such systems to occasionally change polarity: i.e. the north pole becomes the south pole and vice versa. This occurs randomly, so there is no way of predicting it. Reversals are usually several hundred thousand years apart, but sometimes millions of years have passed before a reversal. It is believed that the reversal itself takes as much as one thousand years. Before the reversal it is thought that the position of the magnetic pole moves more erratically than normal and its strength declines. Both of these have been observed over the last few decades, so that some scientists think we are about to experience a reversal soon. (Soon in a geological sense i.e. the next few thousand years.) Hope this is of some help. Try these sites for more information: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/09/0909_040909_earthmagfield.html http://www.open2.net/science/backgroundbrief/magnetic/story.htm
Good reply Ophiolite. I read your first reference, and it too was good for the student, but I think it has one small error. It states that bees are aided /guided by magnetic fields. Probably this is based on observation that they, like homing pigeons, find their way just fine on very cloudy days. They use the polarization of the sky to do this. Please anyone correct me if I am wrong.
There are animals that harbor ferromagnetic-containing bacteria in certain parts of their brains. The bacteria move in response to magnetic fields and the animals have adapted to use this. Don't know about bees though. This might help: http://www.ks.uiuc.edu/Research/magsense/ms.html
What you say is certainly possible (long ago I gave up thinking nature would not do strange things via evolution, if no physical law were violated in the process.), but I doubt it for two reaasons: 1) Not a good idea to have bacteria in your brain. Humans and at least some other species go to consideral effort to avoid this, even when the rest of your body is infected by bacteria (the "blood brain barrier") 2)In all creatures I know about, there is a great irony in that the center of all sensation is without sensation - Often humans undergoing brain surgery are fully alert. (Surgen want to make sure he does not distroy obviously essential tissue - typically he is tring to cut out a focus of eplisepy. I have watched this in main neurosurgy OR at Johns Hopkins.) Surgen, can push part of brain aside to reach below it etc. and alert patient does not feel this push! Compared to the movement a twisting bacteria could do, this pushing by surgen is a landslide.
I believe you are right. The polarisation concept strikes a familiar chord. However, it may not rule out the magnetic factor as well. Redundancy, even in something as small as a bee, would be no bad thing in the evolutionary race. I confess I never read the entire article - just scanned it to see if it was relevant and at the right level, then placed my faith in National Geographic.
Reduandancy always comes with a cost. Bees are very "expendable." They have even done away the they ability to repare minor injury (too expensive). Individual bees should be thought of as "cells" of the "bee organism" which is the hive. There are many highly specialized cells/bees in this organism - Some just feed the queen, some spend the entire day at the entrance to the hive, keeping it cool with their wings used as fans, etc. I doubt they would keep a magnetic back-up system when they gave up the primary "tissue repare ability" most creatures have. Humans (and gunie pigs) have given up a system that most other annimal found worth its cost - the ability to make vitamine C. Linus Pauling, a great advocate of vitamin C, calculated that he should make 11 grams of vitamine C daily, if his ancestors did not drop the ability to make it, (presumably because it costs ore than it was worth when out ancestors lived mainly by eating fruit.) He took this quantity daily when he could. I think monkey still are within the main group of animals in that they make vitamine C, but I am not sure of this.
