Shift of Earth’s magnetic north pole affects Tampa airport
The Tampa Tribune
Published: January 5, 2011
Updated: 01/06/2011 08:31 am
TAMPA - Scientists say the magnetic north pole is moving toward Russia and the fallout has reached – of all places – Tampa International Airport.
The airport has closed its primary runway until Jan. 13 to repaint the numeric designators at each end and change taxiway signage to account for the shift in location of the Earth’s magnetic north pole.
The closure of the west parallel runway will result in more activity on the east parallel runway and more noise for residential areas of South Tampa.
The busiest runway will be re-designated 19R/1L on aviation charts. It’s been 18R/36L, indicating its alignment along the 180-degree approach from the north and the 360-degree approach from the south.
Later this month, the airport’s east parallel runway and the seldom used east-west runway will be closed to change signage to their new designations.
The Federal Aviation Administration required the runway designation change to account for what a National Geographic News report described as a gradual shift of the Earth’s magnetic pole at nearly 40 miles a year toward Russia because of magnetic changes in the core of the planet.
This happens more often than you think. Often runways are borderline between designations. Our primary runway was changed from 17/35 to 18/36 five years ago, the original heading was 354, but over 60 years it has changed to 357. When the runway was reconstructed, it was decided to survey and verify the actual heading and change the designation.
I think those that are on the cusp (with magnetic at .5 at either approach end) may fall victim, give or take that .1 either way. If it stays at .5, no change. if it bumps up to .6, the runway is getting renamed.
Some interesting facts on the movement of the North Magnetic Pole…
During the last century the Pole has moved a remarkable 1100 km. What is more, since about 1970 the NMP has accelerated and is now moving at more than 40 km per year. If the NMP maintains its present speed and direction it will reach Siberia in about 50 years. Such an extrapolation is, however, tenuous. It is quite possible that the Pole will veer from its present course, and it is also possible that the pole will slow down sometime in the next half century.
It is important to realize that the position of the North Magnetic Pole given for a particular year is an average position. The Magnetic Pole wanders daily around this average position and, on days when the magnetic field is disturbed, may be displaced by 80 km or more. Although the North Magnetic Pole’s motion on any given day is irregular, the average path forms a well-defined oval. The diagram shows the average path on disturbed days.
At the very least worldwide navigation is going to take a vacation while new charts are researched and produced. The biggest concern there is that during the reversal process the poles can flip back and forth and wobble around a lot before settling down. Could take a lifetime if I remember correctly. Looks like for ships and airplanes we will be back to pilotage and inertial navigation. Jhem may be more correct than people realize, any long term interruption to the magnetic fields could be hazardous to the health of anything with cells.
true enough, but I didn’t say it would be fatal to all cells. Lower life forms, insects and things that live underground should survive. That means that politicians, lawyers, cockroaches and dung beetles should be OK.
