Interesting. I didn't think it was changing that fast. Perhaps that means that magnetic reversals are not that big of a deal and just happen with a gradual but rapid (in geological terms) change over the course of several decades. At the current rate of change, we would get such a reversal in just about 100 years! (Not that it is going to matter much to me anyway).
The 2nd to last sentence " At the current rate of change, we would get such a reversal in just about 100 years!" is, of course, inaccurate. I realized that not long after I wrote it. The change in declination is just that, a change of the sign of the declination, not a magnetic reversal. But Mr. Trotter's post does show how fast things change even in our lifetimes and that brings up the question of whether magnetic reversals also occur in gradations, but rapidly, as opposed to instantaneously.
Of course the problem with a magnetic reversal for life on earth is (I recall - I've not researched this) that the earth's magnetic field is forced to change it's alignment and at least for a period of time would not provide us with protection from incoming cosmic particles that the magnetic shield usually protects us from. So, the question is - for you grad students and scientists out there - Is there a way that a graduated magnetic reversal would pose less of a threat to life than a sudden one ( for a rotating and revolving earth) ? Anyone?
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