Some bacterial species possess an astonishing ability: They use Earth's magnetic field to orient themselves. To better ...

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

Some inventions are so simple that it’s hard to improve them. The magnetic compass is a great example — a magnetized needle, a bit of cork, and a bowl of water are all you need to start navigating the ...

Magnetic field reversal is a fascinating topic. You are brought up to think that the compass, pointing to the north, is an infallible instrument, and then you find out that the magnetic pole moves, ...

A new analysis of computer simulations of Earth’s magnetic field suggests that its behavior was different early in Earth’s history, resulting in greater stability and fewer reversals of the magnetic ...

One of Earth’s deepest mysteries lies beneath our feet: the planet’s inner core. Made of iron and nickel, the hot, solid sphere is about 70% the size of the moon. Recent research suggested this dense ...

Although the Earth’s magnetic field is reliable enough for navigation and is also essential for blocking harmful solar emissions and for improving radio communications, it’s not a uniform strength ...

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 ...

On moonless nights between February and April along Odisha’s coast, the sand begins to stir. Olive ridley hatchlings, no larger than a child’s palm, tear free f ...

Ancient rocks show Earth’s magnetic field followed deep heat patterns inside the planet for hundreds of millions of years.