ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATEEarth's magnetic field shields us from radiation but can also flip and expose us to cosmic radiation. Continue reading to learn more.
Scientists have previously noticed that the Earth's magnetic field seems to decay periodically, but the reason was unidentified before. The new study confirms that it indeed weakens every 200 million years.
This ancient, well-preserved tree alive when the Earth's magnetic poles flipped helped scientists pin down the more precise timing of that event 42,000 years ago.
Migratory birds can get lost along the way despite doing one migration in their life. But birds can still find their way using the Earth's global magnetic field.