PROJECT SURVIVAL
Happy to have the chance to discuss his theory with another scientist, Alan began. "First of all, as background, let's start with the planetary system. As you know, all of the planets spin on their axis and have their own trajectory about the sun. As they spin in space, the planets and the sun influence one another by the well-known equations of mass and distance. This intra-planetary influence, plus the large energy field produced by the sun, creates an electromagnetic field through which all planets must revolve. Now, I don't know about the other planets, but the center of earth is molten iron. As you know, iron is magnetic whether it is liquid or solid, and always aligns itself in a magnetic field in a manner which causes the iron molecules to point in a certain direction."
"That's the reason a compass always points north," Steve blurted.
"Exactly," confirmed Alan. "Keep in mind the molten iron in the center of the earth is extremely susceptible to magnetic influence. Working our way from the center of the earth to the crust, we have molten rock or lava on top of the liquid iron. All this is topped with the solid crust you and I are sitting on at the present moment. Our earth crust is somewhere between thirty and sixty miles thick and sort of floats on the molten interior, much as ice floats on a pond in the middle of winter.
Picture the iron core aligning itself with the universal magnetic field caused by the tremendous energies of the sun and influenced by all the other planets. As the earth spins in space, the molten interior and the outer crust are in a quasi-state of equilibrium. I say quasi because, in reality, where you and I are sitting today on the crust is not always in the same relative position with regard to the center of the earth. In fact, at this moment, we're sliding to the west at the rate of about 1100 feet a year. In other words, we're moving westward with the crust as it floats on the molten center of the earth.
Now then, what do you think would happen if suddenly the magnetic alignment of all the planets were such that the earth were to experience a magnetic field reversal? A flip flop in the magnetic field the earth is spinning through. Let us say, instead of spinning in a positive magnetic orientation, we were to instantaneously enter a field of negative orientation?"
"Well," said Steve, considering the enormity of the situation as outlined by Alan, "I would say the center of the earth would attempt to realign itself in the new magnetic field and there would be all hell to pay."
Alan added, "It would be analogous to the operation of a small electric motor such as might be found on a garage door opener. The central armature or core of the motor is magnetic. Wires configured so that when an electric current is passed through the windings, an electromagnetic field is created around this core. This magnetic field turns the armature. If the current flows in one direction, the armature will rotate to the left. If the connections are reversed, the motor will reverse and turn right. Current flow in one direction, the door opens. Flip the current and the door closes.
"You are thinking that earth is about to have its magnetic field switched?" Steve asked incredulously. "That's exactly what's going to happen. Alan continued, "The earth's core will immediately move to realign itself with the new magnetic field. As the internal core moves, the earth's crust will attempt to make a matching adjustment. If my toy computer calculations are correct, there will be about a ninety-degree change in the position of the earth's crust. The present north and south poles will move to positions roughly on the equator and a couple of points now opposite each other on the equator will move to form new north and south poles.
The crust which civilization now occupies will try to keep up with the core movement. If my calculations are correct, the point where we're sitting today will move about 6000 miles south in a six hour period; the crust will then realign itself and come back to some kind of quasi equilibrium again."
"My God," Steve breathed with awe, "that would be the Granddaddy earthquake of them all!"
"The earth's crust will rupture," Alan continued, "molten lava will erupt and spew out to melt everything in its path. And, that's not the worst problem; don't forget the oceans. Think of the inertia of all that water now spinning from west to east."
"Your right," said Steve, as he followed the logic of Alan's thinking, "The water will not follow the crust; but inertia will force it to continue moving in an easterly direction."
"That's right. Tidal waves between one and two miles high will sweep everything in their path and anything not destroyed by molten lava will be buried under millions of tons of mud, sand, and silt. There won't be anything left of civilization except maybe for a couple of pivotal points, which, probably, will have only minor earth tremors. Animals, plant life and maybe even a few humans will survive at those places. Our next civilization, if there is a next one, will arise from any survivors who happen to be close to these pivot points."
"Now hold on," cautioned Steve, "you're making a lot of assumptions. For example, how do we know the earth will actually go through this magnetic reversal? I haven't seen a theory or heard anybody say they thought this would happen."
"No, I haven't either, but if it has happened before, there should be testimony left for us to find. Looking for that evidence is what I've been doing in the library for the past week. You've just asked the same question I've asked myself a dozen times. If we're heading for a magnetic field reversal now, then the earth must also have gone through this same type reversal many, many times in the past six billion or so years. If my research and calculations are correct, the earth has spun through a magnetic change about 300 times in the past and will probably spin through another 300 reversals before our sun explodes.
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