north magnetic pole
Where compasses point
The north magnetic pole is the point on Earth's surface where the planet's magnetic field points directly downward—where a compass needle would try to point straight into the ground.
Unlike the geographic North Pole, which is fixed, the magnetic pole wanders over time and currently lies in the Canadian Arctic.
A compass needle points toward the north magnetic pole, not true north, which is why navigators must account for magnetic declination.
- secular variationLong-term magnetic field shift
- compass needleMagnetized directional indicator
- polar expeditionJourney to Earth's ends
- cartographyCreating geographic representations
- aurora borealisHigh-latitude luminous sky phenomenon
magnetosphere · paleomagnetism · field lines · Arctic Circle · navigation systems · tectonic movement · electromagnetism · Roald Amundsen · ferromagnetism · compass navigation · compass rose
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