Chasing the Poles
400+ Years of Magnetic Wander
Tracking Earth's Magnetic North and South Pole movements from 1590 to today. Earth's magnetic poles aren't fixed — they wander due to complex geodynamic processes.
North Magnetic Pole
South Magnetic Pole
Fastest Recorded Movement
Year 2011
↑66 km/year
Field Strength Reduction
10%
↓over 180 years
Years Since Last Reversal
~77.2
Brunhes–Matuyama
Current Speed (km/year)
55 km/yr
↑accelerating toward Siberia
The Magnetic North Pole is racing! It moved from Canada toward Siberia at speeds up to 55 km per year in the early 2000s, forcing emergency updates to navigation systems worldwide.
Magnetic Pole Movement Speed Over Time
First discovery of Magnetic North Pole by James Clark Ross →
Data source: NOAA NCEI Wandering Geomagnetic Poles • Design: Infografr Studio • Inspired by Falko Schulz / SAS Visual Analytics, 2025
Data art inspired by SAS Visual Analytics 'Chasing the Poles' infographic
Travis Travis (itztravis)Made with Infografr