Variations in the Earth.docVIP

Variations in the Earths Magnetic Field ? Courtesy of John Hillhouse, USGS The intensity and structure of the Earths magnetic field are always changing, slowly but erratically, reflecting the influence of the flow of thermal currents within the iron core. This variation is reflected in part by the wandering of the North and South Geomagnetic Poles. Because a wide range of commercial and military navigation and attitude/heading systems are dependent on models of the magnetic field, these models need to be updated periodically. The magnetic fields strength and direction and their rates of ch