Earth's magnetic poles flip regularly
Earth's magnetic poles regularly reverse, weakening our protective shield and scrambling navigation, with the last flip occurring 780,000 years ago.
Earth's magnetic field, created by molten iron swirling in its core, doesn't stay put. Roughly every 200,000 to 300,000 years, its north and south poles swap places in a "geomagnetic reversal." The last full flip was 780,000 years ago, making our current period unusually long without one.
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