Half Past Human: SkinIn: History

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Space is cold, really really really cold.

01.07.2004

Some humans are of the opinion that the cold temperatures at the magnetic/rotational poles of the earth are due to the tilt of the earth and the subsequent lower levels of light/heat from the sun.

This is an incorrect understanding of the mechanisms involved.

The commonly held view that polar regions are cold due to less light striking these areas relies on the assumptions that the light/heat energy of the sun is the primary energetic component of earth-sun interaction , and that the difference in light levels is enough to account for the large scale temperature differences resulting in more or less perpetual polar ice sheets. Further, this idea relegates the magnetic pole component to a non-player, and assumes that the rotational tilt angle is the be-all and end-all of polar cooling.

The discussion about the possibility of Hawaii (actually new measurements indicate that it is more likely a position to the east of Midway Island) as the new or next north pole have led to questions about the magnetic pole, polar temperature, and any relationship.

While it is commonly accepted that less light is the reason for low temperatures at the earth polar regions, and this less light is due to the tilt off perpendicular to the ecliptic, this can be disputed logically at a number of levels. In fact, if light were the only issue, convection from the tropics would compensate for temperature differentials.

Lack of light and heat from the sun is not the causative agent in this case. In fact, it is the incredible amounts of electrical energy that is the mechanism at work. If less electrical energy was expended by our sun, then none of the planets in our solar system would have frozen poles other than perhaps the far-flung wanderers, Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus. Note that Mars has not the tilt angle of earth, yet it's poles remain frozen. It is interesting to note that the sun is the causative agent for polar cooling on all planets in the system. In all cases, it is electrical in nature.

Space is cold, very very very cold. Earth would be cold too, if it were not for the energy from the sun striking and staying within our nice, warm, moist, plump atmosphere (along with volcanism and other local warming events). Imagine for a minute though, that our great little envelope of super-heated (relative to space) air was 'punched' down near the poles. This would allow the really really cold of space get closer to the surface of the earth.

Now as the atmospheric scientists will tell you, our atmosphere is constantly pulsing, and heat-exchanging and interacting with space at all kinds of levels. In fact, most atmospheric scientists do not see the earth's atmosphere as a single 'thing', but rather see it as many layers of various kinds of atmospheres all cooperating to provide humans with warmth and air to breathe. We note that some of these layers of atmosphere are similar to space in that they are very very cold. The ionosphere for instance is in that category with temperatures in the minus 70 to minus 110 degree range. That is cold. And this is actually a part of our atmosphere.

It is easy to see how a punched-in 'hole' or dimple in our atmosphere could bring down some cold from near-space that would freeze the poles, but what could cause the dimpling?

Well, the magnetic field of earth works as a great big 'pump' creating a dimple down over each pole (magnetic pole, not rotational). In the picture below, one can see that the field passes through the earth from pole to pole.

As with all magnetic fields, the one surrounding the earth is capable of attracting suitable elements to the poles of the field. The sun constantly spews out 'suitable elements' for attraction in the form of high energy particles. These are gathered in by our magnetic field and re-directed up/down to the poles no matter where they strike. These particles create a stream of energy that does dimple the atmosphere at the poles, flattening it such that the very very cold parts of space are closer to the planet than elsewhere. These dimples and the cold that is delivered to the surface provide the primary mechanism for freezing at the poles. It is interesting to note that charged particles, ions, and electrons (from proton/photon strikes on components of the upper atmosphere) stream down at the poles creating the convection currents that both power the jet streams and bring particle streams down to near surface points at the poles, creating natural cooling flows.

If an energy stream from the sun, directed by the earth's magnetic field is the causative agent for polar cooling, then an expected outcome of a wandering or unstable magnetic field would be rapid polar warming and new cooling at some other spot on earth. We can see the effects of the absence of the cooling flows in our current warming trends. Both Arctic and Antarctic ice is melting.

We see warming at both poles in excess of what is occurring at other points on the planet. In spite of less light and less heat striking the poles, which should, if that theory were correct, preserve their temperatures in spite of human activity. However, the warming of the globe we are experiencing certainly involves the poles, and significantly, the poles are warming faster than any other regions of the planet. Further, there is now research results arriving which seem to suggest that this and previous periods of global warming or climate change, begin and end with polar activity.

In the illustration of the earth's magnetic field above, we are seeing a neat, stylized representation of what is a truly chaotic occurrence. The image below is more illustrative of the actual state of affairs.

As is illustrated here and below, the chaos of the magnetic field closely parallels the wide-spread nature of polar freezing on the planet.

In the case of an unstable magnetic field, as well as a magnetic pole shift, we can expect there will be climate consequences. These can be expected to severely impact the climate as parts of the really really really cold bits of space will be brought down to new parts of earth, and the old poles will lose their cooling streams. In extrapolating further, one can make the case for radical jet-stream, and ocean-current shifts which will also result from our 'magnetic field shuffle'. This will of course lead to extreme and unusual weather events globally.

We have a few hints about developing magnetic field patterns, but it is early days yet, and current relocations of the poles may not 'take' where they are today. Without regard to location, there will be environmental and economic and human habitation consequences to a 'simple' magnetic pole shift.