Listen to haunting sounds of Earth's magnetic field flipping 41,000 years ago in eerie new animation

image via Space.com

October 25, 2024, 1:00 PM

• •A new video shows how Earth's magnetic field weakened and warped before temporarily flipping during a recent 'polar reversal event'.
• •The last time this happened was around 41,000 years ago, when the magnetosphere suddenly weakened and briefly flipped over the course of several centuries.
• •The new video, released Oct. 10 by the European Space Agency (ESA), shows how magnetic-field lines within the magnetosphere warped and weakened during the Laschamp event.

A new video shows how Earth's magnetic field weakened and warped before temporarily flipping during a recent "polar reversal event." The last time this happened was around 41,000 years ago, when the magnetosphere suddenly weakened and briefly flipped over the course of several centuries. Evidence of this geomagnetic excursion, known as the Laschamp event, can be found in ancient lava flows, which contain unusually high ratios of certain isotopes caused by increased levels of cosmic rays. Past research into fossilized tree rings also revealed that the magnetosphere was reduced to around 5% of its current strength, enabling solar radiation to paint auroras across the equator.

Read original article