<p>The Earth will keep revolving in the same direction during a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomagnetic_reversal" rel="noreferrer">geomagnetic reversal</a>. </p>

<p>There have been a few articles about this phenomenon published during 2018:    </p>

<p><a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/earth-magnetic-field-flip-north-south-poles-science/" rel="noreferrer">National Geographic - No, We're Not All Doomed by Earth's Magnetic Field Flip</a>   </p>

<p><a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180430160437.htm" rel="noreferrer">Science Daily - Earth's magnetic field is not about to reverse</a>  </p>

<p><a href="http://theconversation.com/the-earths-magnetic-field-reverses-more-often-now-we-know-why-96957" rel="noreferrer">The Conversation - The Earth’s magnetic field reverses more often – now we know why</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-27T02:24:14.097Z
I am posting the answer given by Dr  Christopher S. Baird.
S C Sawhney
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-19T07:49:15.677Z
2018-09-19T07:49:15.677Z
Mick
<p>I had sought an answer from Dr. Christopher S. Baird and am forwarding his answer.                       That is incorrect. At present, the north geographic pole points toward the North Star, and the <em>south</em> magnetic pole points approximately toward the North Star. After the next reversal, the <em>south</em> magnetic pole will point away from Antarctica.</p>

<p>When the magnetic poles flip, it will have zero effect on the physical orientation of the earth or the location of its geographic poles. The north geographic pole will still be in the arctic near Canada and point towards the North Star, and the south geographic pole will still be in Antarctica. The rotation of the earth (which determines the geographic poles) has a slight, indirect, complicated influence on the spiraling flow of earth's liquid outer core (which determines the magnetic poles). That is why the geographic poles and magnetic poles are close to being aligned. However, the spiraling flow of earth's liquid core has no effect on earth's overall rotation. This means that changes to the earth's magnetic field do not affect the earth's overall rotation. The sun will still rise in the East.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-11-30T12:17:55.773Z
You have a number of incorrect points in this answer. Worth sorting out what you mean by "toward the North star" and "away from Antarctica" - also, Mick's post was already correct when you posted this
Rory Alsop
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-27T02:31:59.200Z
2018-09-27T02:31:59.200Z
S C Sawhney
<p>When the magnetic poles of the earth get reversed, does the earth keep on revolving in the same direction or does it start revolving in the opposite direction?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-19T05:47:55.030Z
Why would it reverse? How could it reverse and conserve angular momentum?
PM 2Ring
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-20T02:01:20.523Z
@CarlWitthoft I agree with closure but perhaps you could be a bit more tolerant and respectful of users with less knowledge of physics. Calling someone's question "silly" is definitely not nice, and borders on abuse.
Chappo Hasn't Forgotten
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-20T13:28:22.737Z
@JanDoggen if Sawhney's photo is to be believed, he's in his 50s or older.  I find it hard to imagine surviving that long, clearly in a first-world country from his clothing, and thinking the Earth could change **rotation** direction -- I'm being generous and assuming he didn't mean "revolution" .   I mean, really,  just how low do we want the intellectual level to be here?
Carl Witthoft
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-20T19:19:50.367Z
@CarlWitthoft: One of the main reasons why I've always so utterly and viscerally despised physics (it's more of a love-hate relationship, really, rather than a sheer one-sided hatred) is because, unlike mathematics, it, along with other sciences, cannot be deduced from scratch, by using merely the power of reason (i.e., observation is also necessary). Personally, I cannot think of a single reason, devoid of any experimental knowledge, explaining why that-which-happens-to-be-the-case is actually the case, as opposed to the alternative.
Lucian
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-20T19:30:33.137Z
@Lucian With the exception of mathematics,  **all** science depends on observation. I don't understand your point.
Carl Witthoft
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-20T19:39:47.613Z
@CarlWitthoft: Is there some purely-logical reason, devoid of any observational requirements, for why a sphere rotating around its own axis, whose rotation is fueled by the presence of two magnetic poles, situated on opposite sides of one of its diameters (constituting the aforementioned rotation axis), should not change (rather than change) the direction of its rotation, once a change in the polarity of its two poles occurs ?
Lucian
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-11-30T12:20:24.460Z
@Lucian - try it. This is one very easily answered by simple observation. Most physics is all observation and reason/common sense.
Rory Alsop
<earth><magnetic-field>
Reversal of magnetic poles of earth
S C Sawhney
# Reversal of magnetic poles of earth

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-09-19)

When the magnetic poles of the earth get reversed, does the earth keep on revolving in the same direction or does it start revolving in the opposite direction?

**Tags:** earth, magnetic-field
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Why would it reverse? How could it reverse and conserve angular momentum?  
> **username_2**: @CarlWitthoft I agree with closure but perhaps you could be a bit more tolerant and respectful of users with less knowledge of physics. Calling someone's question "silly" is definitely not nice, and borders on abuse.  
> **username_3**: @JanDoggen if Sawhney's photo is to be believed, he's in his 50s or older.  I find it hard to imagine surviving that long, clearly in a first-world country from his clothing, and thinking the Earth could change **rotation** direction -- I'm being generous and assuming he didn't mean "revolution" .   I mean, really,  just how low do we want the intellectual level to be here?  
> **username_4**: @CarlWitthoft: One of the main reasons why I've always so utterly and viscerally despised physics (it's more of a love-hate relationship, really, rather than a sheer one-sided hatred) is because, unlike mathematics, it, along with other sciences, cannot be deduced from scratch, by using merely the power of reason (i.e., observation is also necessary). Personally, I cannot think of a single reason, devoid of any experimental knowledge, explaining why that-which-happens-to-be-the-case is actually the case, as opposed to the alternative.  
> **username_3**: @Lucian With the exception of mathematics,  **all** science depends on observation. I don't understand your point.  
> **username_4**: @CarlWitthoft: Is there some purely-logical reason, devoid of any observational requirements, for why a sphere rotating around its own axis, whose rotation is fueled by the presence of two magnetic poles, situated on opposite sides of one of its diameters (constituting the aforementioned rotation axis), should not change (rather than change) the direction of its rotation, once a change in the polarity of its two poles occurs ?  
> **username_5**: @Lucian - try it. This is one very easily answered by simple observation. Most physics is all observation and reason/common sense.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2018-09-19. Score: 6

The Earth will keep revolving in the same direction during a [geomagnetic reversal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomagnetic_reversal).

There have been a few articles about this phenomenon published during 2018:

[National Geographic - No, We're Not All Doomed by Earth's Magnetic Field Flip](https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/earth-magnetic-field-flip-north-south-poles-science/)

[Science Daily - Earth's magnetic field is not about to reverse](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180430160437.htm)

[The Conversation - The Earth’s magnetic field reverses more often – now we know why](http://theconversation.com/the-earths-magnetic-field-reverses-more-often-now-we-know-why-96957)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I am posting the answer given by Dr  Christopher S. Baird.  

---

### Answer by username_0 on 2018-09-27. Score: 1

I had sought an answer from Dr. Christopher S. Baird and am forwarding his answer. That is incorrect. At present, the north geographic pole points toward the North Star, and the *south* magnetic pole points approximately toward the North Star. After the next reversal, the *south* magnetic pole will point away from Antarctica.

When the magnetic poles flip, it will have zero effect on the physical orientation of the earth or the location of its geographic poles. The north geographic pole will still be in the arctic near Canada and point towards the North Star, and the south geographic pole will still be in Antarctica. The rotation of the earth (which determines the geographic poles) has a slight, indirect, complicated influence on the spiraling flow of earth's liquid outer core (which determines the magnetic poles). That is why the geographic poles and magnetic poles are close to being aligned. However, the spiraling flow of earth's liquid core has no effect on earth's overall rotation. This means that changes to the earth's magnetic field do not affect the earth's overall rotation. The sun will still rise in the East.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: You have a number of incorrect points in this answer. Worth sorting out what you mean by "toward the North star" and "away from Antarctica" - also, Mick's post was already correct when you posted this  

---

