Earth’s magnetic field is the vector field generated primarily by dynamo action in the liquid outer core, where convective motion of electrically conducting iron alloys induces and sustains a predominantly dipolar geomagnetic field. It extends from the core through the mantle and crust into space, forming the magnetosphere via interaction with the solar wind. The field is characterized by its intensity, inclination, and declination, and exhibits secular variation, westward drift, and polarity reversals on geological timescales. It governs charged particle dynamics in near-Earth space, shapes radiation belts, and constrains models of core dynamics and planetary evolution.
A new study led by researchers at the University of Oulu in Finland sheds light on a poorly understood part of space weather: where powerful waves form at the edge of Earth's magnetic shield and where the solar wind can find ...
Planetary Sciences
Oct 13, 2026
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113
A pigeon turning its head might seem an unlikely electricity generator. Yet one proposed explanation for the bird's magnetic sense depends on exactly that: Turning through Earth's magnetic field would produce tiny electrical ...
On Nov. 11, 2025, Earth experienced a severe geomagnetic storm triggered by solar flares and coronal mass ejections from an active sunspot region. While this kind of storm brings beautiful auroras admired in many areas around ...
Science seems like a straightforward endeavor. You come up with a hypothesis, collect data to prove or disprove it, and analyze that data to see whether the hypothesis is right. But anyone who actually does science will tell ...
Astronomy
Aug 22, 2026
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87
Every year, millions of migratory birds travel between different geographical regions on Earth to find food, escape cold weather or reach safe environments to raise chicks. To determine which direction to fly, these birds ...
Recently, a government minister in the Northern Territory, pitching a plan to make Darwin "the data center capital of the globe," suggested it might be a good idea to pump out groundwater to keep Earth's spin steady. If we ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 31, 2026
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27
The moon has been bathed in solar wind for billions of years, but the two hemispheres are struck by solar wind of different speeds and energies.
Planetary Sciences
Jul 19, 2026
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96
In May 2024, auroras were observed at unusually low latitudes across the globe, lighting up skies that rarely see such displays. Inside Earth's magnetosphere, the region of space surrounding our planet and dominated by its ...
Astronomy
Jun 26, 2026
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New research indicates that sea turtles seem to navigate across hundreds of miles of open ocean using Earth's magnetic field. Previous experimental studies suggested that sea turtles use geomagnetism to navigate, but this ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 25, 2026
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14
How pigeons fly hundreds of kilometers and still find their way home has long fascinated people. Now, researchers say a surprising answer may be hidden, not in the brain or eyes of birds, but in the liver.
Plants & Animals
May 28, 2026
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