The latest version of the Earth's magnetic field map, which serves as a reference for vessels and aircraft when determining direction, has been released. The new map shows that the Earth's magnetic north pole has moved from northern Canada toward Siberia over the past five years. It also indicates that the locations of blackout areas, where compasses do not function, have shifted during the same period.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the British Geological Survey (BGS) released the latest version of the World Magnetic Model (WMM2025) on the 17th.
NOAA noted, "The WMM released this time is a kind of updated Earth magnetic field map," adding that "new information will be reflected in all military and civilian aircraft, ships, submarines, and satellite navigation systems (GPS)."
◇ The north pole is moving from Canada toward Siberia
The Earth's magnetic field has been slowly changing since the Earth was formed. As tectonic plates rise along the mid-ocean ridge and encounter seawater, the magnetic field stabilizes. The slowly moving tectonic plates carry recorded information about the strength and direction of past magnetic fields, much like a tape recorder. Scientists use this information to track changes in the Earth's magnetic field intensity over 160 million years, including geomagnetic reversals.
According to scientists, there are two types of north on Earth: "true north," which indicates geographic north, and "magnetic north," which is the direction indicated by a compass. Magnetic north changes location when the magnetic field shifts. The angle between magnetic north and true north also changes over time, with a distance difference of about 1,000 km. The same situation applies to the South Pole, located opposite the North Pole.
The United States and the United Kingdom have developed the World Magnetic Model (WMM) to monitor the changing Earth's magnetic field. This magnetic map shows significant changes in the Earth's magnetic field over time.
According to the newly released magnetic map, the magnetic north pole has moved from Canada to Siberia in Russia over the past five years. The Earth's magnetic field is generated when liquid iron and nickel, which have electrical conductivity, rotate and convect in the outer core. Scientists believe that a significant convection phenomenon has occurred underground in Siberia over the past 20 years, resulting in the magnetic north pole's movement toward Siberia.
In 2007, research teams from Canada and France revealed that the magnetic north pole moves approximately 55 km per year toward the northwest. The British Geological Survey identified that the magnetic north pole had rapidly moved toward Siberia for 20 years, but five years ago, its movement speed suddenly decreased from 50 km per year to 35 km.
Scientists consider this decrease in the magnetic north pole's movement speed to be a very unusual phenomenon. William Brown, a researcher at the British Geological Survey, said, "The magnetic north pole has slowly moved around Canada since the 1500s, and the current movement is unprecedented."
◇ Impacts on aviation and shipping, runway numbers also changed
The WMM is used as a standard model by internationally recognized agencies in navigation, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Ministry of National Defense, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the International Hydrographic Organization, and the British Hydrographic Office. It plays a vital role in ensuring that current navigation technologies operate correctly. An accurate magnetic model is essential for satellite navigation. If the magnetic model is not properly reflected, it can lead to errors in satellite positioning, affecting communication, weather forecasting, and GPS services.
Navigation system experts point out that failing to reflect the newly changed Earth's magnetic field could prevent aircraft and ships from reaching their destinations while traveling long distances. A representative from the British Geological Survey noted in an interview with the technical journal Interesting Engineering that "if someone plans to travel 8,500 km from a home in South Africa to a snow-covered rooftop in England while using outdated information, just a one-degree error could lead to an entirely incorrect location about 150 km away." The United States and the United Kingdom also update and release the accuracy of the Earth's magnetic field map every five years.
Changes in the Earth's magnetic field are also forcing name changes for runways in high-latitude areas. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), airport runways are indicated by their compass alignment runway numbers. Runway numbers range from 01 to 36, representing the magnetic heading the runway faces divided by 10. For example, runway number 09 indicates east (90°), 18 indicates south (180°), 27 indicates west (270°), and 36 indicates north. However, magnetic movements occur more rapidly as one approaches the poles, requiring high-latitude airports to change their runway names more frequently than those closer to the equator. Fairbanks International Airport in Alaska changed its runway name from 1L-19R to 2L-20R in 2009. Airport authorities stated that if the speed of the Earth's magnetic field change is taken into account, they will need to change the name again by 2033.
◇ Release of a 10-fold more accurate magnetic map
The new magnetic map also reflects the new locations of blackout areas around the Earth's magnetic poles. Blackout areas are regions where compasses may not function accurately, rendering the Earth's magnetic field unusable for navigation.
For the first time this year, the United States and the United Kingdom also released a new high-resolution World Magnetic Model (WMMHR2025) map. This map provides magnetic field direction with much greater precision, at 300 km, compared to the standard spatial resolution of 3,300 km at the equator. Officials expect that this tenfold more accurate map will significantly alter how compasses and navigation systems operate.
There are concerns that smartphones or vehicle navigation systems using existing magnetic maps may experience errors. However, experts say there is little cause for concern since smartphone maps and GPS-based applications are regularly adjusted by service providers.
The phenomenon of geomagnetic reversal, where the magnetic north and south poles switch places, continues to occur slowly. Some have pointed out that if a sudden geomagnetic reversal were to happen, it could lead to severe changes in the Earth's environment. However, scientists state that such magnetic changes do not pose a significant threat to humanity or have notable short-term impacts on the Earth's environment.
Reference materials
NOAA (2024), https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/world-magnetic-model-2025-released
NOAA (2019), https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/world-magnetic-model-out-cycle-release