Earth’s Magnetic Pole Slows, Forcing an Urgent World Magnetic Model Update

From airports to map applications on mobile phones, a quiet adjustment to the planet’s compass is beginning to affect a great deal.

As aircraft cross oceans and drivers follow GPS-guided routes, an invisible force is undergoing a major reorganisation: Earth’s magnetic pole has changed its behaviour again, forcing scientists and governments to urgently recalibrate the maps underpinning modern navigation.

What is happening to the magnetic pole

The north indicated by a compass is not stationary. It changes over time because Earth’s magnetic field originates deep within the planet, in a chaotically moving ocean of molten metal in the outer core.

These movements produce immense electrical currents, which in turn create the magnetic field surrounding Earth. When the patterns in this “cauldron” shift, the magnetic pole shifts too.

Since its first official recording in 1831, the magnetic north pole has travelled more than 2,200 kilometres. It is now far nearer to Siberia than to the Canadian Arctic.

The magnetic pole is not only in a different place; it has also changed pace, and this is already affecting how we find our way around the planet.

The major slowdown that surprised scientists

For years, the magnetic north pole was speeding up. At certain times, it moved by more than 70 kilometres per year, a rapid rate on a geophysical scale. This swift drift required regular updates to the models used for navigation.

Researchers have now identified something markedly different: the movement has slowed sharply. The pole is advancing at around 35 kilometres per year, almost half the speed recorded in earlier phases.

Scientific teams describe this “braking” as the greatest slowdown seen in recent decades. Although the change is gradual, it has very real implications for aviation, maritime transport and digital systems.

Why models such as WMM and IGRF are so critical

For an aircraft to locate a runway correctly, or for a ship to hold its course on the open sea, a compass alone is insufficient. It is necessary to know precisely where the magnetic pole is now, rather than where it was years ago.

This is where two essential global models come in:

• IGRF (International Geomagnetic Reference Field): a scientific algorithm used by researchers to describe Earth’s magnetic field.
• WMM (World Magnetic Model): the official reference for maritime and air navigation, as well as a range of civilian and military systems.

The WMM is produced by the US atmospheric and oceanic observation agency in partnership with the British Geological Survey. It is normally updated every five years and is used by governments, armed forces, NATO, commercial fleets and navigation-equipment manufacturers.

With the unexpected change in the pole’s speed, the version of the model meant to remain valid until 2030 became outdated ahead of schedule.

An early update: when north “moves” on the chart

The 2025 version of the World Magnetic Model was released in 2024 and was intended to remain valid until 2030. However, the new calculations, which reflect the pole’s slowdown, prompted an unplanned revision.

Scientists had to recalibrate the model so that the magnetic references used by ships, aircraft, satellites, mobile phones and cars would not become inaccurate. An error of a few degrees in magnetic north may seem minor, but over long distances it can amount to several kilometres of deviation.

Among the most sensitive adjustments are systems that provide guidance for:

• commercial and military aviation routes;
• the navigation of cargo ships and oil tankers;
• digital compasses in smartphones, watches and cars;
• geolocation systems used by logistics services.

Airports, runways and numbers that must change

One of the most visible effects, although it receives little public attention, concerns airport runways. Each runway is given a number based on its orientation relative to magnetic north. A runway aligned at 90 degrees, for instance, is numbered 09; at roughly 270 degrees, it becomes 27.

As magnetic north changes position, the runway’s magnetic direction changes as well. Eventually, its number no longer matches its actual heading, affecting navigation charts and landing and take-off procedures.

With the magnetic model update, some airports need to renumber runways, revise charts and adjust the data used in displays and onboard systems.

This involves expenditure, planning, coordination with aviation authorities and amendments to technical documentation. For passengers, almost nothing changes visibly. For pilots and air traffic controllers, however, the precision of these numbers matters to operational safety.

Mobile phones, cars and digital maps are affected too

Nearly everyone now carries a compass in their pocket, built into a smartphone. It does not rely solely on GPS, which provides location; it also uses a magnetic reference to determine the direction in which the device is pointing.

Mobile-phone makers and car manufacturers use simplified versions of the World Magnetic Model to calibrate these functions. When the model is updated, the software libraries that calculate direction and heading must also be updated.

In practical terms, this reduces errors where GPS is weak or its signal is reflected, including:

• narrow streets lined with tall buildings;
• dense forests;
• urban environments with substantial interference.

A leap in precision: from 3,300 to 300 kilometres

Another technical development in the latest update is improved resolution in certain areas. The model now includes a high-resolution version that provides a much more detailed description of the magnetic field.

Near the equator, typical precision, previously around 3,300 kilometres, has improved to approximately 300 kilometres. This change increases confidence in heading calculations in complex zones, including coastal areas, routes near islands and regions with heavy maritime traffic.

Finer resolution helps to reduce uncertainty, correct routes automatically and plan journeys with less margin for error.

Parameter	Before the update	After the update
Magnetic north pole speed	Up to ~70 km/year	~35 km/year
Planned validity of the WMM model	2025–2030	Revised early
Precision at the equator	~3,300 km	~300 km

Terms that help explain the phenomenon

Some expressions occur frequently in this subject and often cause confusion. Two deserve particular attention.

Geographic north versus magnetic north

Geographic north is the fixed point where Earth’s rotational axis meets the surface at the top of the planet. Magnetic north, by contrast, is the point towards which a compass points, determined by the shape of the magnetic field at any given moment.

These two norths do not coincide, and the gap between them is known as magnetic declination. In some places it is small; elsewhere it reaches several degrees, altering routes and directional readings.

Pole drift

Drift is the term used for the movement of the magnetic pole over time. It can accelerate, slow down or even change direction, depending on the dynamics of Earth’s core.

Modelling this drift requires continuous data from satellites, ground observatories and measurements taken by research ships and aircraft. This is why the models need regular revision.

Future scenarios and potential risks

The recent slowdown does not mean lasting calm. Geological history shows that the magnetic field has weakened and even reversed several times, with north and south exchanging places over hundreds of thousands of years.

No one can name a date for such an event to happen again, but more abrupt changes in the field could affect:

• satellites exposed to a greater flow of solar particles;
• electrical infrastructure vulnerable to geomagnetic storms;
• communication systems at high latitudes.

On the other hand, monitoring the magnetic field using models such as the WMM creates a form of early-warning network for disturbances affecting modern technology, providing time to protect power grids and adapt satellite operations.

For ordinary users, these changes remain almost invisible. Yet behind an accurate route in a map application or a precisely numbered runway is a global engineering effort working in step with a planet that never stops moving-not even in what once seemed to be the world’s most dependable north.