Earth's magnetic field

Earth's magnetic field (and the surface magnetic field) is approximately a magnetic dipole, with one pole near the geographic north pole and the other near the geographic south pole. An imaginary line joining the magnetic poles would be inclined by approximately 11.3° from the planet's axis of rotation. The cause of the field is probably explained by dynamo theory. The magnetic field extends several tens of thousands of kilometres into space as the magnetosphere.

Magnetic poles

The location of the magnetic poles is not static but wanders as much as several miles a year. The two poles wander independently of each other and are not at directly opposite positions on the globe. Currently the south magnetic pole is further from the geographic south pole than the north magnetic pole is from the north geographic pole.

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Magnetic pole positions

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References

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• {{note|NorthPole}} Geomagnetism, North Magnetic Pole. Natural Resources Canada, 2005-03-13.
• {{note|SouthPole}} South Magnetic Pole. Commonwealth of Australia, Australian Antarctic Division, 2002.