What are the consequences of a shift of the magnetic poles?

Answer 1

While the poles are shifting, the Earth would have no shield against harmful gamma rays,and as a result all life would end.

I think you are getting a little mixed up. Nothing like mass extinction will happen with Magnetic Polar Shift.

Now if you were talking about Geographic Polar Shift, then most probably, because of something catastrophic happening to knock the Earth's Axis of Rotation out of line, would cause mass extinction.

Answer 2

Very little. Many people mistakenly think that the magnetic field protects the surface from cosmic rays, but it is mostly the atmosphere that does that. When the field switches, the magnetic field gets very low, and intense cosmic rays reach the top of the atmosphere (instead of being deflected by the magnetism), but only a few percent increase is measured at the Earth's surface. (At the North Magnetic Pole there is never any shielding, and that is how much stronger the surface cosmic rays are.) Some birds and protozoa that use the magnetic field for navigation would be disoriented. And our compasses would be useless until the field settled down in its reverse direction. The last recorded switch was about 790,000 years ago.

Answer 3

A shift in the Earth's magnetic poles can disrupt navigation systems that rely on magnetic compasses. It may also affect animals that use Earth's magnetic field for orientation. However, it is not expected to cause widespread destruction or significant impact on human life.

Answer 4

it would cause major kaos & could be the end of the world as we know it.