The planet's magnetic North Pole, where compasses point, has been unexpectedly moving towards Russia. While shifting is not a rare occurrence, the pole is moving both faster and differently than it was before, raising questions about the planet's magnetic field. If the Earth's field is disrupted it may cause problems in technology and navigation, as well as expose the planet to unwanted radiation.
There are two types of poles on Earth: the geographic and magnetic poles. The geographic North Pole "stays at the same place, as it is where all lines of longitude converge", while the magnetic North Pole is where a compass points, which "changes from time to time as the contours of the Earth's magnetic field also change", said USA Today.
Because of this scientists have long tracked changes in the magnetic pole. "For centuries the magnetic North Pole steadily tracked along Canada's northern shore," but in the past few decades it has "taken a new path, accelerating across the Arctic Ocean towards Russia's Siberia province at varying speeds that have puzzled scientists," said Newsweek.
The switch in direction and momentum has raised questions. Scientists have some possible explanations, including "changes in the flow of molten iron beneath the Earth's crust" and "high-energy solar particles interacting with the Earth's magnetosphere, such as during solar storms and winds". The phenomenon "may be linked to the Earth's history of magnetic pole reversals, which have occurred nearly 200 times over the past 100 million years", said Earth.com.
Understanding pole shifting can help scientists "gain a better understanding of the Earth's geodynamo, which is the engine behind the magnetic field that shields us from harmful solar radiation". | 
