Health is wealthEarth's magnetic poles
The earth's geographic poles are generally right at the two opposing points about which the Earth seems to rotate.The North magnetic pole is at a point where a dipping compass--a compass that allows the needle to move freely in a vertical plane (as opposed to the horizontal needle movements seen in most compasses)--points straight down into the earth. The South magnetic pole is the point where a dipping compass points up. A dipping compass points horizontally on the Earth's magnetic equator, also called the Earth's dip equator. The magnetic poles are far more restless. They move under the influence of the dynamo currents in the Earth's core, as well as electric currents flowing in the ionosphere, the radiation belts and the Earth's magnetosphere. The North magnetic pole has moved steadily northward at an average rate of 10 kilometers per year since it was first located in 1831. Modern navigators normally are not affected by the wandering of the poles because they can regularly determine their position from satellites and Earth-based observatories. The degree of difference between the position of these two poles when seen at various locations is called magnetic declination. These angles allow navigators to determine their actual geographic position. Charts and handbooks for navigation regularly update these values and are published by government agencies.
