Is Earths magnetic field widening

Answer 1

I am not sure what you mean by widening. The Earth's magnetic field is a result of the fact that the Earth has a molten Iron core and the planet is rotating quite rapidly. The strength of the magnetic field in these circumstances is dependent on the speed of rotation. As the Earths rotational speed is slowing (due to the friction of the tides caused by the moon) the Earth's magnetic field is gradually weakening over geological time scales but this is not significant in terms of human time. The other affect of the rotating Iron core on the magnetic field is what is called field inversions. In the same was as the Sun goes through an 11 cycle of activity during which the N and S magnetic poles flip, the Earth's poles also flip about once every 75-100 thousand years. There is some evidence that the Earth's poles are in the process of flipping at the moment and during this process, in the same was that the Sun develops Sun spots, multiple poles appear at various locations round the Earth. This effect could be said to distort (or widen) the Earths magnetic field.