The Earth's magnetic North Pole has been racing towards Siberia at an increasing pace, according to a Science Alert report. For the first time in its recorded history, the magnetic north pole even crossed the Greenwich meridian, the invisible line that determines time zones. The development has left scientists puzzled.
According to the NOAA's National Centres for Environmental Information (NCEI), the wandering has generally been quite slow and that allowed scientists to keep a track of its position fairly easily. However, the pace has quickened in the past few decades, accelerating to an average speed of 55 kilometres per year.
The fluctuations could be caused by jet stream-like flows of liquid iron inside the Earth's core, reports said. A report suggested it could have something to do with hydromagnetic waves from deep in the planet's core.
Researchers with NOAA believe that the magnetic pole will continue its trip toward Siberia, but that it will begin to slow down a bit as we push into the new year.
