Shift in the magnetic north pole forces airport runway closure

Birmingham Star Saturday 8th January, 2011

The magnetic north pole is currently drifting toward Russia at a rate of around 40 miles per year, which has forced Tampa International Airport to close its primary runway to adjust its signage.

Pilots depend on the earth’s magnetic fields to navigate, making the precise numbering of runways essential.

“You want to be absolutely precise in your compass heading,” Paul Takemoto, a spokesman for the FAA told Fox news. He added that, although the earth’s magnetic poles are constantly in flux, it is rare for an airport to have to close its runways to adjust numbering.

A pole shift of around 3 degrees is necessary for airport runway re-numbering to be effected and it is unclear how many other airport in the US or the world may have to make necessary changes.

The magnetic poles are not constant and can even flip entirely, as they did around 780,000 years ago.

Tampa International is due to have its main runway open again on January 13th.

Share this article:
Back to Birmingham Star

Comments

global warming or better stated as usa pollutionizing the earth through its manufacturing and war makings, is changing the shape and structures of the earth, and as always reactions to the forces issued by the usa's uncaring corporate greed are causing 'ignored' reactions! increases in the earth's volatile events. shifting/twisting the 'earth engine'!

anon...mous - 2 years ago

I heard something about this the other day only to be confirmed

Linda Knight - 2 years ago

This is an update of climate on 1/1/11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ypm9u7Hmd0

Beatrice Hamilton - 2 years ago

North and South Pole After-Shift Map http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=tWv32_Sw82w

Beatrice Hamilton - 2 years ago

2012, I'm tellin ya ;)

Craig - 2 years ago

All will be as it must, we are children of her and in her we trust

HADEZ - 2 years ago

I am sure this was caused by global warming.

scum1 - 2 years ago

hmmm birds falling from the sky across the states and in europe makes me wonder

kc1411 - 2 years ago

the ascension process is well under the way. exciting times. look within, understand this and there will be no fear.

yourself - 2 years ago

God Bless us ALL... The Pole are switching!!!

downers grove north - 2 years ago

"Be Prepared"...the Boy Scouts' motto

Benjy - 2 years ago

what is the effect of this with regards to northing and easting/bearing

harry - 2 years ago

I believe this is why birds are flying off course, and whales beach themselves. The magnetic field has been changing since the 40's....speeding up now. We are overdue for a pole change! I just pray it doesn't flip all at once!

Beach Kitty - 2 years ago

i smell BS that about 57 feet a day that it moves

plzeme2 - 2 years ago

that sounds a little bit off to me, do the math, thats 57 feet a day.

plzeme2 - 2 years ago

I think it shifted to central Alberta , seen the weather outside ?

happy go lucky - 2 years ago

Can't say why but I just link this phenomenon of the moving of magnetic poles to the late mysterious as well as appalling events of birds falling dead by flocks down from the sky; or of indefinable quantity of fish dead afloat rivers in the USA and elsewhere in the world. Can there be any impact og magnetic poles moving on living beings, and even human beings? Hopefully there will be a journalist who will search and continue writing on the story.

Bêta - 2 years ago

Well if the magnetic poles are moving so is the earth in relationship to the sun. so the global warming and the ice cap are not at the top of the world. Hey what happens if the equator becomes the pivot point for the world to turn on.

justmethinking - 2 years ago

o my god the government will not know what to do they donot know who to taxs for the worlds magnetic pole shifting

justmethinking - 2 years ago

Hey anyone who thinks things are changeing fast. teach your kids to look after them selves and not depend on the governments. We could be heading into a global deppression were the governments will not be able to contol anything. We people can still have a good life if we see that we can live without bad governments and work together to make the future good.

justmethinking - 2 years ago

"A pole shift of around 3 degrees is necessary for airport runway numbering to be effected". Effected, huh. How did you get this job, genius?

Grammarian - 2 years ago

if mag pole is moving "towards russia" and if draw a map line so the line extends beyond the pole and thus down into canada????? does this mean canada is drifting up towards the pole????? if not, then what is the effect of the mag pole moving towards russia as to land other side of the mag pole.... --- and if canada is not the land opposite russia as to this imaginary line drawn thru the mag north pole, then what lands would be pulled northward????

robo bob - 2 years ago

i just created a lengthy spew relative to this issue, and the web site refused the heavy load so i 2 times tried to lighten the load but the web site still had a nervous breakdown, so instead of my tome i leave you this observation of a brain dead web site

robo bob - 2 years ago

By robo bob, 01-09-11, 09:54 PM i just created a lengthy spew relative to this issue, and the web site refused the heavy load so i 2 times tried to lighten the load but the web site still had a nervous breakdown, so instead of my tome i leave you this observation of a brain dead web site

robo bob - 2 years ago

i wrote a suggestion to the owner of this site i hope i did not make him mad at me, he does have a nice set up and is informative

robo bob - 2 years ago

Misuse of "efected." It should be "affected." Taking too much stuff off the Fox newswires, I see...

Nashville - 2 years ago

Well the daylight savings change and the worlds oval not sphere shaped,, oh really? the magnetic poles are not stable,, no #$%$ how stupid do you think we are. Getting tired of people to ignorant to study facts that have been arround for almost 2 lifetimes. Well there was that opinionated collage book peice of crap back in the 60s. The poles are not going to shift,, not until the planet is completely covered in water.. long time from now. LONG TIME.. they just fluctuate every couple of years because the planets rotation is not perfect,, it wobles.

jamin - 2 years ago

The King is coming, the King is coming, Glory - Hallelujah - KING JESUS is coming!

son of Yahweh!!! - 2 years ago

The prophecy has been told, over and over and over....don't overthink it...just have FAITH. ABSOLUTE TRUTH CAN ONLY BEEN FOUND IN JESUS CHRIST.

daughter of Yahweh!!! - 2 years ago

tell me again about this global warming we are suffering from as i stand on this 5 foot snow bank.

mcdermidbob - 2 years ago

the poles have always & will always shift. Sometimes it happens fast, then slows. Not realy a fully predictable thing. Air & Marine navigators are always updating charts besscause of this. The present shift would indicate a shift ottftt Eastern Canada a little tfarthert south. Nothing tropical or evenp noticetable, but it is never a fixed pole situation & nevert has beetn

aviatorcase - 2 years ago

Just curious how you guys came up with 57 feet a day? A mile is 5280 feet. multiply that by 40and you get 211,200 feet in a year. Divide that by 365 and you get 578.63 feet a day.

west_texas_tp - 2 years ago

"Effected, huh. How did you get this job, genius?" - although your interest in grammar is exemplary, you should note that 'effected' is used to denote the result our outcome of a force, in this case the shift of the magnetic north pole. 'Affect' on the other hand, is used to either describe the manifestation of something false ("he affected an air of superiority") or to describe a change on something that already exists. Therefore, 'effected' in the article is used correctly for it relates to the subject in that it is used as a verb meaning 'to bring about or implement' rather than the latter meaning. Also, the person who wrote "Misuse of "efected." It should be "affected." Taking too much stuff off the Fox newswires, I see..." yeah, nice try at sounding clever but you mis-typed the word you were trying to criticise...fail.

Idiots - 2 years ago

In regard to comment by idiots, Way to Go!!! Loved it!!

hopefulone - 2 years ago

I am coming! I am coming!

Jesus - 2 years ago

The quran says the sun will rise in the west, signaling the closing of the major gates of repentance. Move before it's too late. .............Moderated

Muslim - 2 years ago

Yes, seems the magnetic shift is affecting the already delusional minds of the fundies in mass hysteria. Wow a pointless life to worship something with no evidence what so ever, yes Zeus is still responsible for throwing lighting bolts.

Zeusiscoming - 2 years ago

OK, I'm just one of those dumb broads...but could this be the reason the birds have been recently falling out of the sky. We've been inundated by solar flares this last month...perhaps another eason this is all happening. Mother nature has always had a way of looking after herself!!!

Trude - 2 years ago

Ezekiel 22:25 :26 Ezekiel 34:2 Hosea6:9 Ezekiel 13:19 Genesis6:4,5,6

Curious - 2 years ago

do your research, nature itself adds quite a bit to global warming. more than we do as a matter of fact. 2012 is a bunch of hype, something will happen, but it will not end the world...every new year brings new and exciting, or disastrous events. the snow in 49 of 50 states is accounted toward our magnetic north shifting 40 miles a year, not global warming. things change over time, thats just how it is. too many people now-a-days get sucked, easily i might add, into mammy panzy predictions. 1 more thing, the earth was warmer 1000 years ago than it has been in recent years.

KnoUrFacts - 2 years ago

back to work you lazy nubs

nicks - 2 years ago

Have your say

  • By submitting your comment you agree to our terms and conditions

Featured Story

Apple Inc. has unveiled an operating system for its iPhones and iPads that will radically overhaul how users' touchscreens look, a top company official said.

Besides the new system, iOS 7, ...

Record Your Vote

Should tax havens be forced to lift their shroud of secrecy?

View results

On Facebook

They said it

Our nuclear programmes are completely transparent. But we are ready to show greater transparency and make clear for the whole world that the steps of the Islamic Republic of Iran are completely within international frameworks. The sanctions are unfair, the Iranian people are suffering, and our (nuclear) activities are legal. These sanctions are illegal and only benefit Israel.

Hassan Rouhani

Iran's president-elect was speaking after his historic election victory.