South Magnetic Pole
Quick Summary
The South Magnetic Pole is a point in the Southern Hemisphere where Earth's magnetic field lines point vertically downward. It is not fixed and moves approximately 8 miles (13 km) northwest each year. This movement is studied within the field of geophysics, specifically geomagnetics, which examines Earth's magnetic field, its origins, and its variations over time.12
The study of polar wandering, the migration of magnetic poles over Earth's surface, has provided evidence for continental drift. Paleomagnetism, the study of Earth's ancient magnetic field recorded in rocks, shows that different continents yield different paths for the magnetic pole's movement. These discrepancies are reconciled by understanding that continents have moved relative to each other over geologic time. The geomagnetic South Pole, representing the southern end of Earth's geomagnetic field, also moves and does not coincide with the geographic South Pole.3415
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