Magnetic Field Reversals

Magnetic field reversals occur when Earth's magnetic poles swap places; North becomes South and vice versa. This process happens gradually over thousands of years, driven by complex movements in Earth's liquid outer core, where liquid metal flows and generates magnetic fields. These reversals are part of Earth's natural magnetic cycle, which has occurred many times in geological history. During a reversal, the magnetic field weakens and becomes more complex, with multiple poles appearing temporarily. When completed, the magnetic poles are reversed, but these events are rare and unpredictable, taking thousands of years to fully develop.