There are two types of poles bracketing the Earth: geographic and magnetic. The geographic North Pole "stays at the same place, as it's where all lines of longitude converge," while the magnetic North Pole is where a compass points, USA Today explained. The latter "changes from time to time as the contours of Earth's magnetic field also change." For centuries, the magnetic North Pole "tracked along Canada's northern shore," but in the past few decades, it has "taken a new path," said Newsweek, "accelerating across the Arctic Ocean toward Russia's Siberia province at varying speeds that have puzzled scientists."
The Earth's magnetic poles move because the "liquid metal in the outer core is sloshing around instead of holding steady," said Snopes. Scientists have suggested that the current switch in direction and momentum might be caused by "changes in the flow of molten iron beneath the Earth's crust" or "high-energy solar particles interacting with the Earth's magnetosphere, such as during solar storms and winds."
The shifting of the North Pole affects the World Magnetic Model, which "predicts where the pole should be at any one time," said The Times of London. The model "helps to direct the compass tools found in smartphones," aid GPS systems and steer military submarines. The push toward Russia could have "far-reaching" implications on navigation technology, said Earth.com.
Researchers are also monitoring for a potential magnetic reversal, during which the North and South Poles flip. This has occurred many times throughout Earth's geological history, but little is known about how it would affect the world today. | 
