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Why are Earth’s geomagnetic poles not located exactly at the North and South geographic poles?

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geomagnetic field The magnetic field of a bar magnet has a simple configuration known as a dipole field. Close to Earth's surface this field is a reasonable approximation of the actual field.

Earth’s geomagnetic poles are not located exactly at the geographic poles because the geomagnetic field is not perfectly aligned with the planet's axis of rotation.1

The field is primarily a dipolar field generated by electric currents within Earth’s liquid outer core. This dipole is tilted approximately 11° away from the geographic North Pole. Furthermore, the field is not perfectly centered within the planet, and the presence of a non-dipole field—often referred to as regional geomagnetic anomalies—contributes to the separation between the locations of the dipole poles and the actual magnetic dip poles.123

These anomalies, which can be partially explained by offsetting the best-fit dipole, influence compass readings and reflect the complex, dynamic nature of the dynamo mechanism operating deep within the Earth. Because these internal processes change systematically over time, the orientation and strength of the geomagnetic field are subject to secular variation, meaning the positions of the magnetic poles are not fixed.14