Earth’s magnetic field, generated deep within the planet’s liquid iron core, has been bending, stretching, and occasionally flipping for billions of years. That invisible shield determines whether ...

Earth’s magnetic field is often described as a steady shield, but the geological record tells a more restless story. Polarity ...

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story: It used to be thought that there were more volatiles ...

Deep beneath the ocean floor, ancient sediments hint that Earth’s magnetic field sometimes changed far more slowly than expected.

Earth's magnetic field is generated by the churn of its liquid nickel-iron outer core, but it is not a constant feature. Every so often, the magnetic north and south poles swap places in what are ...

Earth’s magnetic field can linger in a weakened, unstable state for tens of thousands of years before fully flipping.

Learn how some of Earth’s magnetic field flips last longer than others, weakening our defenses against cosmic radiation.