Magnetic North Leaps Toward Siberia, Forcing Upgrades to Global Navigation
Earth’s magnetic north pole has crossed into unmapped territory and sits closer to northern Russia than Canada, according to the World Magnetic Model 2025 released by NOAA and the British Geological Survey. The pole’s drift, once fast in the 1990s, has slowed to about 35 km/year—the largest deceleration recorded—driven by changes deep in Earth’s outer core. NOAA also released a higher-resolution WMMHR2025, improving accuracy for polar aviation, maritime routes, and consumer devices, and updated magnetic blackout zones. While the field remains in motion without signs of an imminent reversal, outdated models can introduce navigation errors in high-latitude operations, underscoring the need for the new data in global positioning and routing systems.
