South Magnetic Pole facts for kids

The South Magnetic Pole is a special spot on the southern part of Earth. It's where the Earth's magnetic pull goes straight up out of the ground. Imagine a giant magnet inside our planet, going from north to south. The South Magnetic Pole would be at the very bottom end of this imaginary magnet.

This pole doesn't stay in one place! The Earth's magnetic field is always changing, so the South Magnetic Pole moves around. In 2015, it was located off the coast of Antarctica, near Adélie Land and Wilkes Land. It was outside the Antarctic Circle at that time.

The pole is always on the move, shifting northwest by about 10 to 15 kilometers (6 to 9 miles) each year. It's quite far from the actual Geographic South Pole, about 2,860 kilometers (1,777 miles) away. The closest science station that people live at all the time is called Dumont d'Urville Station.

Why the South Magnetic Pole Moves

The Earth acts like a giant magnet, but it's not a solid, unchanging one. Inside our planet, there's a hot, liquid outer core made mostly of iron. This liquid metal is constantly moving and flowing. This movement creates electric currents, which in turn create the Earth's magnetic field.

Because the liquid outer core is always swirling, the magnetic field it creates also changes over time. This is why the South Magnetic Pole (and the North Magnetic Pole) slowly drifts across the Earth's surface. Scientists study this movement to understand more about our planet's deep interior.

Finding the South Magnetic Pole

Finding the exact spot of the South Magnetic Pole can be tricky because it's always moving. Explorers and scientists use special tools called magnetometers to measure the Earth's magnetic field. They look for the place where the magnetic field lines point straight up.

Early explorers faced many challenges trying to reach this remote location. The area is very cold and icy, making travel difficult. Modern technology, like GPS and satellite data, helps scientists track the pole's position more accurately today.

Images for kids

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  Observed south dip poles during 1903–2000 are yellow squares. IGRF-12 Modeled pole locations from 1590 to 2020 are circles progressing from blue to yellow.

See also

In Spanish: Polo sur magnético para niños