Earth's Magnetic Field Is Fading, Are The Poles Ready To Flip?

Earth's magnetic field is weakening 10 times faster than previous estimates, according to data collected by a European Space Agency (ESA) satellite array called Swarm.

The field protects Earth from deadly solar radiation. Its strength has faded mostly above the Western Hemisphere but also strengthened over areas like the southern Indian Ocean, according to the satellites data.

The reasons remain unknown but the scientists think this might be because the Earth is ready to flip its magnetic poles.

The Earth is known to flip its poles many times in its history at about an average of 450, 000 years but the process can happen randomly. The process is called  geomagnetic reversal and changes in magnetic field strength are part of this flipping cycle

Previous estimates put the weakening of field at about 5 percent per century, but Swarm's data have shown that the field is actually weakening at 5 percent per decade, or 10 times faster than thought.

No mass extinctions have been linked to the previous geomagnetic reversal.