page for calibrating geomagnetic north

Magnetic North, Geomagnetic and Magnetic Poles

Magnetic north   Geomagnetic poles   Magnetic poles
Maps and table showing the locations of geomanetic and magnetic poles.

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Figure 1  Locations of geomagnetic poles and magnetic poles based on IGRF-11 from 1900 to 2000 by 10 years and at 2005 and 2010 (red) and 2015 (prediction).
North geomagnetic poles (blue) and north magnetic poles (green)	South geomagnetic poles (blue) and south magnetic poles (green)
The Earth is associated with the geomagnetic field that has an S (N) -pole of a magnet near the North (South) Pole. A magnetic compass, therefore, approximately points toward the north. However, the pointing direction is slightly different from the true north by an angle called "declination". Also, two pairs of poles can be defined for the geomagnetic field: the geomagnetic poles and the magnetic poles. The magnetic north corresponds to neither pole, since the geomagnetic field actually has a more complicated shape than a magnetic field generated by a bar magnet (See below). Moreover, a magnetic needle suspended at a center of balance does not keep horizontal. As a rule, the N-pole dips downward by an angle called "inclination" in the northern hemisphere. If we rotate a compass for southern hemisphere in Japan... (MPG:2.3MB) The Geomagnetic poles (dipole poles) are the intersections of the Earth's surface and the axis of a bar magnet hypothetically placed at the center the Earth by which we approximate the geomagnetic field. There is such a pole in each hemisphere, and the poles are called as "the geomagnetic north pole" and "the geomagnetic south pole", respectively. On the other hand, the magnetic poles are the points at which magnetic needles become vertical. There also are "the magnetic north pole" and "the magnetic south pole". The geomagnetic or magnetic south (north) poles correspond to the N (S) -pole of a magnet. In Table 1 and Figure 1 , we show predicted locations of the geomagnetic and magnetic poles by "International Geomagnetic Reference Field" (IGRF-11) from 1900 through 2015. These poles are drifting according to slow and smooth change in the geomagnetic field called "the geomagnetic secular variation". In Figure 2, we show the predicted declination at Kyoto in 2010 by IGRF-11 in addition to the predicted directions towards the geomagnetic and magnetic north poles. The reason why we have now westward declination in Japan is probably due to the presence of a strong positive geomagnetic anomaly around Lake Baikal in Siberia. The N-poles of magnetic needles tend to be attracted to the anomaly to show westward declinations around Japan. Model field by IGRF Animation of secular variation in geomagnetic total intensity for the last 400 years.	Year North geomagnetic pole South geomagnetic pole North magnetic pole South magnetic pole Dipole moment 1022Am2 Lat. Long. Lat. Long. Lat. Long. Lat. Long. 1900 78.6N 68.8W 78.6S 111.2E 70.5N 96.2W 71.7S 148.3E 8.32 1905 78.6N 68.7W 78.6S 111.3E 70.7N 96.5W 71.5S 148.6E 8.30 1910 78.6N 68.7W 78.6S 111.3E 70.8N 96.7W 71.2S 148.7E 8.27 1915 78.6N 68.6W 78.6S 111.4E 71.0N 97.0W 70.8S 148.5E 8.24 1920 78.6N 68.4W 78.6S 111.6E 71.3N 97.4W 70.4S 148.2E 8.20 1925 78.6N 68.3W 78.6S 111.7E 71.8N 98.0W 70.0S 147.6E 8.16 1930 78.5N 68.3W 78.5S 111.7E 72.3N 98.7W 69.5S 147.0E 8.13 1935 78.5N 68.4W 78.5S 111.6E 72.8N 99.3W 69.1S 145.8E 8.11 1940 78.5N 68.5W 78.5S 111.5E 73.3N 99.9W 68.6S 144.6E 8.09 1945 78.5N 68.5W 78.5S 111.5E 73.9N 100.2W 68.2S 144.5E 8.08 1950 78.5N 68.8W 78.5S 111.2E 74.6N 100.8W 67.9S 143.6E 8.06 1955 78.5N 69.2W 78.5S 110.8E 75.2N 101.4W 67.2S 141.5E 8.05 1960 78.5N 69.5W 78.5S 110.5E 75.3N 101.0W 66.7S 140.2E 8.03 1965 78.5N 69.9W 78.5S 110.1E 75.6N 101.3W 66.3S 139.5E 8.00 1970 78.6N 70.2W 78.6S 109.8E 75.9N 101.0W 66.0S 139.4E 7.97 1975 78.7N 70.5W 78.7S 109.5E 76.2N 100.7W 65.7S 139.5E 7.94 1980 78.8N 70.8W 78.8S 109.2E 76.9N 101.7W 65.4S 139.3E 7.91 1985 79.0N 70.9W 79.0S 109.1E 77.4N 102.6W 65.1S 139.1E 7.87 1990 79.1N 71.1W 79.1S 108.9E 78.1N 103.7W 64.9S 138.9E 7.84 1995 79.3N 71.4W 79.3S 108.6E 79.0N 105.2W 64.8S 138.7E 7.81 2000 79.5N 71.6W 79.5S 108.4E 81.0N 109.7W 64.7S 138.4E 7.79 2005 79.7N 71.8W 79.7S 108.2E 83.1N 117.8W 64.5S 137.8E 7.77 2006 79.8N 71.9W 79.8S 108.1E 83.8N 122.0W 64.5S 137.7E 7.76 2007 79.9N 72.0W 79.9S 108.0E 84.0N 123.2W 64.5S 137.6E 7.76 2008 79.9N 72.0W 79.9S 108.0E 84.2N 124.9W 64.5S 137.6E 7.75 2009 80.0N 72.1W 80.0S 107.9E 84.9N 131.0W 64.5S 137.5E 7.75 2010 80.0N 72.2W 80.0S 107.8E 85.0N 132.6W 64.4S 137.3E 7.75 2011 80.1N 72.3W 80.1S 107.7E 85.1N 134.0W 64.4S 137.2E 7.74 2012 80.1N 72.4W 80.1S 107.6E 85.9N 147.0W 64.4S 137.1E 7.74 2013 80.2N 72.5W 80.2S 107.5E 85.9N 148.0W 64.4S 137.0E 7.73 2014 80.2N 72.5W 80.2S 107.5E 85.9N 149.0W 64.3S 136.8E 7.73 2015 80.3N 72.6W 80.3S 107.4E 86.1N 153.0W 64.3S 136.7E 7.72 Table 1   Locations of magnetic poles and geomagnetic poles and strength of dipole moment based on IGRF (including prediction for after 2010). Note that the actual magnetic poles must be moving always by the effect of external currents flowing in the ionosphere and magnetosphere, and the change of the location could be about 80 km or more. Please refer the pages in Geological Survey of Canada for more detailed explanation.
	Figure 2   Magnetic north and directions of geomagnetic and magnetic poles (left) and inclination (right) at Kyoto (35.0N, 135.8E) at 2010 based on IGRF-11.            end quote from: http://wdc.kugi.kyoto-u.ac.jp/poles/polesexp.html