Learn how some of Earth’s magnetic field flips last longer than others, weakening our defenses against cosmic radiation.

Earth's magnetic field is generated by the churn of its liquid nickel-iron outer core, but it is not a constant feature.

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

Earth’s magnetic field can linger in a weakened, unstable state for tens of thousands of years before fully flipping.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. The Earth's magnetic field deflects particles emitted by the Sun. Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library via Getty Images The Earth’s ...

Simulations suggest that two enormous masses of hot rock have been involved in generating Earth’s magnetic field and giving ...

The continent-sized blobs are much hotter than the lower mantle, creating a significant temperature gradient in the rocky ...

Deep inside Earth, two massive hot rock structures have been quietly shaping the planet’s magnetic field for millions of ...

Learn about the continent-sized rocks hidden deep within Earth's mantle that have influenced the magnetic field for millions ...

Exploring Earth's deep interior is a far bigger challenge than exploring the solar system. While we have traveled 25 billion ...

Geologists have mapped a strange magnetic anomaly in Australia – and in a stunning coincidence, it happens to look remarkably ...

Earth’s magnetic field is often described as a steady shield, but the geological record tells a more restless story. Polarity flips, when magnetic north and south swap places, happen several times per ...