Magnetic dip or magnetic inclination is the angle made by a compass needle with the horizontal at any point on the Earth's surface. Positive values of inclination indicate that the field is pointing downward, into the Earth, at the point of measurement. It was first described by Robert Norman in 1581.
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Explanation
Magnetic dip results from the tendency of a magnet to align itself with lines of force. As the Earth's magnetic lines of force are not parallel to the surface, the north end of a compass needle will point downward on the northern hemisphere (positive dip) or upward on the southern hemisphere (negative dip). Contour lines along which the dip measured at the Earth's surface is equal are referred to as isoclinic lines.The locus of the points having zero dip is called magnetic equator. The range of dip is from -90 degrees to 90 degrees
Importance
The phenomenon is especially important in aviation, as it causes the airplane's compass to give erroneous readings during banked turns and airspeed changes.
References
See also
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