Los cambios en el n\u00facleo externo de la Tierra desencadenan cambios impredecibles en su campo magn\u00e9tico, una fuerza invisible que se extiende desde el interior de la Tierra hasta donde se encuentra con una corriente de part\u00edculas cargadas que emanan del Sol. Por ejemplo, en las \u00faltimas d\u00e9cadas, el polo norte magn\u00e9tico ha estado a la deriva hacia Siberia a una velocidad irregular. Esta migraci\u00f3n puede afectar negativamente a la precisi\u00f3n de la navegaci\u00f3n si no se compensa con un WMM actualizado. “Aunque el GPS es una gran herramienta para la navegaci\u00f3n, est\u00e1 limitado en el sentido de que solo proporciona su posici\u00f3n. Su orientaci\u00f3n, la direcci\u00f3n a la que se enfrenta, proviene del campo magn\u00e9tico”, dijo James Friederich, cient\u00edfico geod\u00e9sico de la Agencia Nacional de Inteligencia Geoespacial de Estados Unidos. “Nuestros combatientes usan el magnetismo para orientar sus mapas. La c\u00e1mara de su tel\u00e9fono inteligente y varias aplicaciones pueden usar el campo magn\u00e9tico para ayudar a determinar la direcci\u00f3n hacia la que se enfrenta. Todos estos ejemplos necesitan que el MMM proporcione su orientaci\u00f3n adecuada”.<\/p>\n
NOAA officials announced that the World Magnetic Model (WMM), a representation of Earth\u2019s large-scale magnetic field and an indispensable complement to GPS devices used by NATO, the United States and United Kingdom militaries, as well as civil applications ranging from mineral exploration to smartphone apps, has been updated.<\/p>\n
Changes in the Earth\u2019s outer core trigger unpredictable changes in its magnetic field, an invisible force that extends from Earth\u2019s interior to where it meets a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun. For example, over the past few decades the North magnetic pole has been drifting toward Siberia at an irregular speed. This migration can adversely affect the accuracy of navigation if not compensated for by an updated WMM.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know the Earth\u2019s magnetic field is constantly changing,\u201d said Stephen Volz, Ph.D., assistant NOAA administrator for NOAA\u2019s Satellite and Information Service. \u201cBut thanks to the environmental intelligence gathered from a wide array of platforms, including satellite observations, we can make vital updates to the World Magnetic Model and ensure the most accurate navigation for commercial applications.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Updated every five years, the WMM, created using satellite observations of the Earth\u2019s magnetic field, provides accurate magnetic field declination, the difference between true north and magnetic north critical for navigational safety. Scientists continuously survey the magnetic field and can precisely map the present field and its rate of change and then extrapolate changes into the future. WMM-corrected magnetic compass readings are not subject to ionospheric disturbances and work everywhere, including under the sea and in deep canyons.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough GPS is a great tool for navigation, it is limited in that it only provides your position. Your orientation, the direction you are facing, comes from the magnetic field,\u201d said James Friederich, a geodetic scientist at the U. S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. \u201cOur war fighters use magnetics to orient their maps.\u00a0Your smartphone camera and various apps can use the magnetic field to help determine the direction you are facing.\u00a0All of these examples need the WMM to provide your proper orientation.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n