Navigation apps to go haywire?

The shifting of the Earth’s magnetic North Pole to the east is not unusual and seems to be very interesting as well. But what’s unusual is that how fast it is moving! Currently the Earth’s magnetic North Pole is moving eastwards at a pace of 55 kilometres a year, which is being considered to be faster than ever before. The magnetic north currently leans towards the expanses of Siberia whereas the actual geographical north is at the tip of the Prime Meridian. So what effect does it have on us? This shifting of the magnetic pole has deep impacts for the department of defence, airports and directional drilling companies. But you must be thinking that it doesn’t affect much on your daily life. However, it does since it can take a toll on your phones and disrupt the functions of the navigation apps. Arnaud Chulliat from the University of Colorado says, “The continuous shift is an issue for compasses in mobile phones and some consumer electronics. Aeroplanes and ships rely on magnetic north, generally as backup navigation”. With people depending on online maps and navigation so much, it might turn out to be a major problem. The phones use magnetic sensors to detect and tell navigation apps which direction you’re facing for providing with accurate directions. With the shifting of the magnetic pole, it is possible that the phones may go haywire! According to the US National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), “Smartphone and consumer electronics companies rely on the WMM (World Magnetic Model) to provide consumers with accurate compass apps, maps, and GPS services”. But all hopes aren’t lost already, as experts believe that the poles won’t be switching places for another 1,000 years!