The North Pole has moved

This December 17, 2024, the British Geological Survey (BGS) indicates in a press release that it has updated, with the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the World Magnetic Model (WMM).

The global magnetic model is a standard model, composed of a series of maps which shows variations in the Earth’s magnetic field. It is used for navigation and GPS systems and is updated every 5 years.

Dr. William Brown, global geomagnetic field modeler at BGS, explains in the press release: “ We have never before observed the current behavior of magnetic north. Magnetic north has been moving slowly around Canada since the 1500s, but over the past 20 years it has been accelerating toward Siberia, increasing its speed each year until about five years ago, when it suddenly decelerated. from 50 to 35 km per year, which is the greatest speed deceleration we have ever seene. »

Increased precision of navigation systems

The variation in the Earth’s magnetic field is caused by the flow of liquid iron in the Earth’s outer core. For geolocation and navigation devices to continue to be accurate, it is essential that they follow these fluctuations in the magnetic field and therefore that the systems in question are updated.

Moreover, if someone were to travel today, by sleigh for example, between South Africa and England (8,500 km distance) and they used the old WMM model, they would be able to 150 km from its intended destination. Slightly annoying, right?

To go further

This year marks something new for the WMM. For the first time, in addition to the 2025 update, a second version is published: the WMM High-Resolution 2025. This version having a higher resolution will therefore make it possible to navigate with even more precision than before. This is some news that should reassure Santa Claus, his elves and all the children.