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is magnetic north the same as geographic north of the Earth?
6 Answers
- 1 decade agoFavorite Answer
It is very different. The Earth has a magnetic field with two poles. They are currently labeled 'north' and 'south' because of where they are today but the rock cores show that the poles have reversed at various points during the Earth's history and move around. A compass works by identifying magnetic north, not geographic north.
Geographic north is a constant spot, where the Earth's axis of rotation meets the Earth's surface.
It is the reference point that helps to define the numbers of latitudes.
Source(s): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_pole - ?Lv 71 decade ago
They are different. The wanderings of the North and South Magnetic Poles as observed by explorers during the last 150+ years.
However, the North geographic pole has been constant, being directly below the North Star.
- Anonymous4 years ago
No. Magnetic north is in northern Canada, not on the north pole. Navigators be attentive to this and alter for this offset (called a magnetic declination) while navigating over the exterior of the earth employing a compass.
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