What is the difference between magnetic and geographical North?

Answer 1

The geographic North and South Poles are the points representing the earth's axis and about which it rotates. The Geomagnetic Poles are the points where the earth's magnetic lines of force converge. The north and south geomagnetic poles are both some distance from the geographic poles.

Answer 2

The basic difference is that geographical north is static and the magnetic north is in constant motion, the magnetic field extends into the atmosphere and for lack of a better word is kind of like the wind. See the link below WikiAnswers has some good information on this.

Answer 3

The Earth's magnetic field is not aligned precisely with the Earth's physical axis of rotation. In fact, it's off by quite a bit, and it moves.

Presently (in 2009) the North Magnetic Pole of the Earth is located in northern Canada, and moving slowly to the west. If you examine navigational maps, you'll notice that the maps contain lines of magnetic variation - the angle of difference between true north and magnetic north. In northern California, the "mag var" is around 18 degrees.

Answer 4

The Earth's rotational north pole (actually called the "geographical north pole") is related to Earth's rotation - it is the northernmost part of Earth's rotational axis.

The magnetic north pole is related to Earth's magnetism; this is not exactly aligned with Earth's rotation. Therefore, the magnetic compass (the most common type of compass) will show approximately to the north (in most parts of Earth), but not exactly so.

Answer 5

Magnetic North is the direction pointed by a magnetic compass needle towards the Earth's magnetic pole, while Geographical North is the direction towards the Earth's North Pole. The two points are not the same due to the difference between Earth's magnetic and geographic poles. Geographic North is the point where Earth's axis intersects the surface, while magnetic North is constantly shifting due to changes in the Earth's magnetic field.

Answer 6

Real north and geographical north are the same thing. True north and magnetic north are different. The North Pole is at the top center and magnetic north is a little off.

Answer 7

No it is not.

Answer 8

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