Earth's Magnetic Poles: Why Do They Not Correspond?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationship between Earth's magnetic poles and its rotation axis, exploring the reasons for their misalignment and the underlying processes involved. Participants touch on concepts related to geomagnetism and the geomagnetic dynamo, as well as the implications of Earth's structure on its magnetic field.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question why Earth's magnetic poles do not correspond with the rotation axis, suggesting a potential connection between the two phenomena.
  • Others assert that the magnetic and rotational phenomena are fundamentally different, referencing the geomagnetic dynamo as a key concept in understanding Earth's magnetic field.
  • One participant notes the difference in locations between the geographic and magnetic poles, implying that this distinction is significant in the discussion.
  • Another participant proposes that the rotation could be dependent on the magnetic field or vice versa, indicating a possible interrelation that remains speculative.
  • A participant explains that a solid rotating sphere with a net charge would have a magnetic field aligned with its rotation axis, but points out that Earth's structure and charge distribution do not support this alignment.
  • There is mention of the geomagnetic dynamo as a mechanism that could explain the alignment of the magnetic field with the rotation poles, though details are not provided in the discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relationship between Earth's magnetic poles and its rotation axis, with no consensus reached on whether there is a connection or how the geomagnetic dynamo influences this relationship.

Contextual Notes

Some claims depend on specific definitions of magnetic and geographic poles, and the discussion does not resolve the complexities of Earth's internal structure or the mechanisms of the geomagnetic dynamo.

MartinV05
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Why are Earth's magnetic poles not corresponding with the rotation axis? And the spin direction is opposite of the right hand rule. Probably the actual spin and the magnetic influence have something in common, but can someone tell me what's happening in this spinning process? Thanks!
 
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Why are Earth's magnetic poles not corresponding with the rotation axis?
Why should they? They are different phenomena.

To see how the Earth has a magnetic field at all, look up "geomagnetic dynamo".
 
Simon Bridge said:
Why should they? They are different phenomena.

To see how the Earth has a magnetic field at all, look up "geomagnetic dynamo".

and also whilst you are doing that, note the difference in the locations of the north and south magnetic poles compared to the geographic north and south poles :)

cheers
Dave
 
I know that the geographic poles and the magnetic ones are not the same, but it somehow seemed possible to me that the rotation is dependent of the magnetic field (or the other way around).
 
MartinV05 said:
I know that the geographic poles and the magnetic ones are not the same, but it somehow seemed possible to me that the rotation is dependent of the magnetic field (or the other way around).

Why not look up Geomagnetic Dynamo as suggested?
 
A solid rotating sphere with a net charge has a magnetic field that lines up with the rotation axis.
The Earth is not solid all the way through and does not carry much of a net charge to speak of - so we would not expect the same mechanisms to produce the Earth's magnetic field.

Actually, it's a better question to ask why the magnetic field lines up with the rotation poles as well as they do.
The "geomagnetic dynamo" stuff explains this. I could just summarize it for you here - but that's a lot of typing I don't need to do.

You may like to also look up the "Mars magnetic field".
 

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