Read the Beforeitsnews.com story here. Advertise at Before It's News here.
Profile image
By Universe Today (Reporter)
Contributor profile | More stories
Story Views
Now:
Last hour:
Last 24 hours:
Total:

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

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.


Is there something strange and alien confined deep inside the Earth? Is it trying to break free and escape into the heavens? No, of course not.

But in a new soundscape from the ESA, it sure sounds like it.

About every 450,000 years, Earth’s magnetic poles flip. North becomes south and vice versa in a phenomenon called geomagnetic reversal. This discovery was shocking since the planet’s magnetic field is such a foundational part of our environment. However, these reversals appear to be mostly harmless to life.

Geomagnetic reversals are chaotic events. Though they occur on average about every 450,000 years, there’s no pattern to them. There have been about 183 of them in the last 83 million years, leading us to the 450,000-year number. But the last one was 780,000 years ago, and some say that we’re overdue for the next one.

Sometimes, the events are excursions rather than full reversals. That’s when the field shifts for several hundred years and then returns to its original orientation, like the Laschamps event about 41,000 years ago. In an excursion, the field reverses in Earth’s outer core while its inner core remains unchanged. These happen more frequently than full reversals, but their exact number and timing are more difficult to determine since their effects aren’t global.

The evidence for these reversals and excursions is found in paleomagnetism. Paleomagnetism measures the orientation of magnetic elements like iron in volcanic rock as it cools. By determining the age of the rock, scientists can determine the orientation of Earth’s magnetic field when the rock solidified. The history of Earth’s magnetic reversals is recorded where new magma cools as the seafloor spreads.

Magnetic stripes are the result of reversals of the Earth's field and seafloor spreading. The new oceanic crust is magnetized as it forms and then moves away from the ridge in both directions. This diagram shows a ridge (a) about 5 million years ago, (b) about 2 million years ago, and (c) in the present. Image Credit: By Chmee2 - derived from File:Oceanic.Stripe.Magnetic.Anomalies.Scheme.gif, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18557170
Magnetic stripes are the result of reversals of the Earth’s field and seafloor spreading. The new oceanic crust is magnetized as it forms and then moves away from the ridge in both directions. This diagram shows a ridge (a) about 5 million years ago, (b) about 2 million years ago, and (c) in the present. Image Credit: By Chmee2 – derived from File:Oceanic.Stripe.Magnetic.Anomalies.Scheme.gif, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18557170

During these excursions and reversals, the magnetic field’s strength weakens. During the Laschamps event, which lasted several hundred years, the field weakened to only 5% of its normal strength.

Earth’s magnetic fields deflect cosmic rays away from Earth, and at only 5% of its normal strength, the field lets in far more cosmic rays than usual. Cosmic rays are high-energy particles, usually protons or atomic nuclei, that come from the Sun and from objects both inside and outside of the Milky Way and travel at relativistic speeds. When they strike Earth’s atmosphere, they produce showers of secondary particles.

No matter how often they occur or what causes them, scientists are pretty sure that the Laschamps event was the latest excursion, and the European Space Agency decided it would be good if we knew what it sounded like.

The ESA launched its three-satellite Swarm mission in 2013 to study Earth’s magnetic fields. Swarm measures magnetic signals not only from the core but also from the mantle, the oceans, and all the way up to the ionosphere and magnetosphere. Scientists at the Technical University of Denmark and the German Research Centre for Geosciences used Swarm data and data from other sources to create a soundscape of the Laschamps event.

The scientists used recordings of natural sounds, such as rocks falling and wood creaking, and blended them into alien-like sounds that were both familiar and strange. The result sounds Earthly, subterranean, natural, and creepy all at the same time as if some ancient part of the Earth is writhing around inside the planet, which, in a way, it is.

The first version was created in 2022 and was played as a sort of public art installation in Copenhagen. There were 32 speakers, and each one played the sound represented by changes in the magnetic field at 32 locations around the world.

Check out the ESA’s SoundCloud channel, where they post their audio creations.

The post This is What it Sounds Like When the Earth’s Poles Flip appeared first on Universe Today.


Source: https://www.universetoday.com/169117/this-is-what-it-sounds-like-when-the-earths-poles-flip/


Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world.

Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.

"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.

Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world. Anyone can join. Anyone can contribute. Anyone can become informed about their world. "United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.


LION'S MANE PRODUCT


Try Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend 60 Capsules


Mushrooms are having a moment. One fabulous fungus in particular, lion’s mane, may help improve memory, depression and anxiety symptoms. They are also an excellent source of nutrients that show promise as a therapy for dementia, and other neurodegenerative diseases. If you’re living with anxiety or depression, you may be curious about all the therapy options out there — including the natural ones.Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend has been formulated to utilize the potency of Lion’s mane but also include the benefits of four other Highly Beneficial Mushrooms. Synergistically, they work together to Build your health through improving cognitive function and immunity regardless of your age. Our Nootropic not only improves your Cognitive Function and Activates your Immune System, but it benefits growth of Essential Gut Flora, further enhancing your Vitality.



Our Formula includes: Lion’s Mane Mushrooms which Increase Brain Power through nerve growth, lessen anxiety, reduce depression, and improve concentration. Its an excellent adaptogen, promotes sleep and improves immunity. Shiitake Mushrooms which Fight cancer cells and infectious disease, boost the immune system, promotes brain function, and serves as a source of B vitamins. Maitake Mushrooms which regulate blood sugar levels of diabetics, reduce hypertension and boosts the immune system. Reishi Mushrooms which Fight inflammation, liver disease, fatigue, tumor growth and cancer. They Improve skin disorders and soothes digestive problems, stomach ulcers and leaky gut syndrome. Chaga Mushrooms which have anti-aging effects, boost immune function, improve stamina and athletic performance, even act as a natural aphrodisiac, fighting diabetes and improving liver function. Try Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend 60 Capsules Today. Be 100% Satisfied or Receive a Full Money Back Guarantee. Order Yours Today by Following This Link.


Report abuse

Comments

Your Comments
Question   Razz  Sad   Evil  Exclaim  Smile  Redface  Biggrin  Surprised  Eek   Confused   Cool  LOL   Mad   Twisted  Rolleyes   Wink  Idea  Arrow  Neutral  Cry   Mr. Green

MOST RECENT
Load more ...

SignUp

Login

Newsletter

Email this story
Email this story

If you really want to ban this commenter, please write down the reason:

If you really want to disable all recommended stories, click on OK button. After that, you will be redirect to your options page.