North Pole 101

I'm between road trips and have time on my hands to explore travel related issues that I find interesting, like maps and navigation, so here are some thoughts on the North Pole:

Hikers and anybody else using a compass has a general understanding the the true north pole is not the same as the magnetic north pole, but it is normally pretty close. It gets complicated because the magnetic pole is not in the same place as the geographic pole and also wanders over time and so maps need to be continually updated. Right now the magnetic pole has left northern Canada and, for reasons unknown, has recently speeded up dramatically; it is headed northwest at 40 miles per year. This affects any number of things, including the runways at airports which show the compass heading (ie. "27R") and need to be re-designated and repainted with updated information. Tampa made the news a few years back when they did this. Many also think this recent speed-up is confusing migratory animals that rely on geo-magnetic clues to navigate.
 

I like this map - nice graphic, and it shows the complexity of the difference between true and magnetic north, in compass degrees. If you live along the black line, say  in New Orleans or Minneapolis, this is a non-issue; no difference at all. The real north pole is in the same direction as the magnetic. Go east or west of that line and the difference increases - each line is a one degree change in declination. To compensate, all compasses have a way adjust the dial on the compass face to point in the right direction. New York and Los Angeles are each only about 13 degrees east or west. In northern Alaska, the difference is the most dramatic in the US - about 20-25 degrees!