This is What it Sounds Like When the Earth’s Poles Flip – Universe Today

Earth’s magnetic field protects us from harmful solar radiation. It is generated deep within our planet’s core, and its magnetic field lines extend far out into space, forming a protective bubble around Earth known as the magnetosphere.

This magnetic field isn’t static, however. It’s constantly shifting and changing. And every few hundred thousand years or so, it flips completely, with the north magnetic pole becoming the south magnetic pole, and vice versa. This flipping process is known as a geomagnetic reversal.

But what would it actually sound like if the Earth’s poles flipped?

No one knows for sure. There is no evidence that humans have ever lived through a geomagnetic reversal. But we can get a glimpse of what might happen by looking at how Earth’s magnetic field behaves during these reversals.

When a reversal happens, Earth’s magnetic field becomes much weaker, sometimes almost completely disappearing. It then gradually regains strength but with a reversed orientation. This process can take anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand years, but most importantly, we’re pretty sure it doesn’t happen overnight.

Scientists have been able to use the study of rock magnetism to see these changes in Earth’s history, much like reading rings of a tree can show the age and environment the tree lived in. Scientists examine the orientation of iron particles in ancient lava flows. During geomagnetic reversals, these iron particles align with the reversed magnetic field at the time. These are called palemagnetic records, and it is these records that give us evidence of Earth’s flipping magnetic poles.

While scientists know that the flipping happens, the details of the exact process are unknown. They can predict with some certainty when a flipping happens, but not what the timing might be.

However, this flipping process would be accompanied by a great deal of activity and disturbance, not the least of which is a surge in the influx of high-energy radiation. With the magnetic field significantly weakened, this surge of solar radiation would bathe the Earth in potentially harmful doses. Think of it like a supercharged aurora borealis around the planet, as all of Earth’s power lines and communication satellites become incredibly vulnerable to cosmic storms and massive fluctuations. It’s the worst kind of solar flare ever, going on for thousands of years.

There would likely be no audible noise from the magnetic field itself, however. The Earth’s magnetic field is not directly connected to the air we breathe. Therefore, the flips and the weakening of Earth’s magnetic field would be more likely to affect the planet’s radio waves, communications and create issues with power lines. It’s unlikely that the sound from the flips would be anything humans could perceive.

Fortunately, the last geomagnetic reversal took place around 780,000 years ago, so a reversal probably won’t be occurring in the foreseeable future.

But the research we gain on Earth’s geomagnetic field helps us better understand how space weather might impact the future and plan better defenses to avoid further problems, like with our power grids or our reliance on satellite-based communication.