Thanks decimon.
- Sidebar: Pole flips tied to plate tectonics
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Posted on 11/30/2011 2:37:26 PM PST by decimon
Uhhhh, no. But if you notice any variations as you inspect be sure to report it immediately to NASA.
Total protonic reversal ping.
Anyone that’s takes basic flight training learn two memonics to account for this: “True Virgins Make Dull Company” and “East is least/West is best” to account for “variation” when plotting a Dead Reckoning course. Do student pilots even learn these anymore ?
What its reminding is there is a difference between true north and magnetic north. All aerial maps give that information in the form of “zones”. I know that “magN” has been moving a lot in my lifetime, and the story confirms its been moving more rapidly of late. Almost every airport of any size has - or had, IME - a “compass rose” to enable pilots to “swing” their magnetic compasses and adjust them for accuracy.
IAC, there’s a lot of cyclical events Gia experiences. Not all of them are pleasant, or transparent to modern technology, I suspect. Certainly the earth’s magnetosphere is important to our existence as its our shield against solar wind effects. Loss - even temporary - would no doubt prove lethal to civilization, if not mankind ! >PS
As CD suggests, the young birds probably fix on the magnetism at the time of birth, just as some birds will fixate on the first thing they see when their eyes open. Also, just as you may need a map (magnetic signal) to get to some place you visited as a child, once you get close you will be able to recognize local features to reach your destination (rivers, mountains, etc.
Furthermore, if the north pole is shifting at the rate of 40 miles a year, then if a half circumfrance of the earth is around 12,000 miles, then a complete shift would take around 300 years. This is long enough for a lot of adaptation to take place, both of animate and inanimate earth objects/beings.
You don't?
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