20 Ways the World Could End-#6

[4Drea]

Magnetic Field Reversal

Every few hundred thousand years Earth's magnetic field dwindles almost to nothing for perhaps a century, then gradually reappears with the north and south poles flipped. The last such reversal was 780,000 years ago, so we may be overdue. 

Worse, the strength of our magnetic field has decreased about 5 percent in the past century. Why worry in an age when GPS has made compasses obsolete? Well, the magnetic field deflects particle storms and cosmic rays from the sun, as well as even more energetic subatomic particles from deep space. Without magnetic protection, these particles would strike Earth's atmosphere, eroding the already beleaguered ozone layer (#2 and 5). Also, many creatures navigate by magnetic reckoning. A magnetic reversal might cause serious ecological mischief. 

One big caveat: "There are no identifiable fossil effects from previous flips," says Sten Odenwald of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. "This is most curious." Still, a disaster that kills a quarter of the population, like the Black Plague in Europe, would hardly register as a blip in fossil records.

Next up-Super Volcano

[4jordanG]

I heard about this it is said that if the magnetic poles flip then it would produce a radioactive storm or something like that and it would kill us. I Really hope that doesn't happen soon.

[2 leah]

they said this would happen where the compasses go werid and the magnetic pull would go to the south instead of the south. drea you have a very big understanding of science for this. just so you know

[JB N ME 2GETHER 4EVER]

no comprendo. would this counteract gravity

[4Drea]

no, the magnetic field helps deflect harmful rays from the sun and outerspace. basically making a gamma-ray burst more likely. and a lot of animals migrate to places with the use the magnetic field, as it lessens, the birds trying to go south might end up north, or east or something.