Posted on 01/08/2011 6:09:58 AM PST by equaviator
An airport in Tampa, Florida, has had to temporarily close its runways to keep up with Earth's magnetic north pole, which is drifting toward Russia at a rate of 40 miles per year.
Fox News reports that the international airport was forced to adjust the signs on its busiest runway Thursday because pilots depend on the magnetic fields to navigate. The runway will be closed until Jan. 13, and will re-open with new taxiway signs that indicate its new location on aviation charts, the Tampa Bay Tribune reports.
Paul Takemoto, a spokesman for the FAA, says the Earth's magnetic fields are constantly in flux -- but rarely so much so that runway signage needs to be changed. "You want to be absolutely precise in your compass heading," he told Fox. "To make sure the precision is there that we need, you have to make these changes."
"The Earth's poles are changing constantly, and when they change more than three degrees, that can affect runway numbering," FAA spokesperson Kathleen Bergen told Fox News. It's unclear whether any other airports will have to adjust their runways.
Earth's magnetic field, which still flummoxes those who study it, "is thought to be generated deep inside the planet," LiveScience writer Jeanna Bryner explains. "An inner core of solid iron is surrounded by an outer core of molten iron. They rotate at different rates, and the interaction between the regions creates what scientists call a 'hydromagnetic dynamo.' It's something like an electric motor, and it generates a magnetic field akin to a giant bar magnet."
Sometimes, the poles completely flip -- and presumably when that happens, many bigger changes are afoot than modest tweaks to airport signs. The last time the planet experienced a polarity flip was 780,000 years ago.
Bush’s Fault
Perhaps this is why so many dangerous democrats and rinos are bipolar?
Magnetic pole dancing ... the latest crisis du jour.
So, let me get this straight. ONE airport in Florida is affected by this? And the rest of the world has adjusted? Or is perhaps not affected? Doesn’t make sense scientifically to me.
And possibly masses of migrating birds, causing large "die-offs"? One wonders.
Put a big "You are here." where the airport used to be...and a "You need to be here." over the correct spot on the chart...
Could it be that too many airplanes are landing at Tampa Intl, and the airport is “tipping” over?
Yeah.. fall out from 0bambi’s START treaty....the Russians stole the North Pole.
Of all the runways, at all of the airports, all over the world...
the magnetic shift has resulted in re-designation of just this one?
Tampa airport’s predecessor, Drew Field opened in 1928 with a Magnetic Declination of 2 degrees East degrees. The current magnetic Declination is over 5 degrees West. Therefore the magnetic compass orientation of the runways has moved 7 degrees.
Runways are named by the magnetic direction of their alignment, to the nearest 10 degrees. After 7 degrees of change it was time to change the names of the runways to coincide with the nearest 10 degree direction. Since the name/number of each runway is painted on the approach end in REALLY BIG NUMBERS, it was necessary to close the runway while this was done.
Hey news people, THE SKY IS NOT FALLING!
Could it be that too many airplanes are landing at Tampa Intl, and the airport is “tipping” over?
How would anyone be able to state, as a fact, that the planet experienced a polarity flip 780,000 years ago?
Is this the same crew that is telling us about global warming, when I look out my window, and see 6-7 inches of snow, single digit temps, and it's been exceptionally cold since early November.
doubt it.
Certain sedimentary rocks with iron particles in them “record” the direction of the earth’s magnetic field at the time they are deposited. Peel back the rock, layer by layer, and you can generate a chart of the direction of the field as a function of time.
But of course, liberals know better how to run things than Whomever designed this outdated concept.
And socialists are sure that this is part of global warming and is causing discrimination against minorities, who should be sent reparations by white Christians.
Although the phenomenon "still flummoxes those who study it," the Global Civil LIberties Union will look into it and will soon declare "a consensus" of "settled science."
And they need to close it for an entire week???
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