Far from being constant, this field is continuously changing.
Indeed, our planet's history includes at least several hundred global magnetic reversals, where north and south magnetic poles swap places.
So when's the next one happening and how will it affect life on Earth?
During a reversal the magnetic field won't be zero, but will assume a weaker and more complex form.
It may fall to 10% of the present-day strength and have magnetic poles at the equator or even the simultaneous existence of multiple 'north' and 'south' magnetic poles.
Geomagnetic reversals occur a few times every million years on average.
However, the interval between reversals is very irregular and can range up to tens of millions of years.
There can also be temporary and incomplete reversals, known as events and excursions, in which the magnetic poles move away from the geographic poles – perhaps even crossing the equator – before returning back to their original locations.
The last full reversal, the Brunhes-Matuyama, occurred around 780,000 years ago.
A temporary reversal, the Laschamp event, occurred around 41,000 years ago.
It lasted less than 1,000 years with the actual change of polarity lasting around 250 years.
What Would Happen If Magnetosphere Weaken ?
The magnetosphere protects the Earth from solar radiation, but it fluctuates.
If it weakens dramatically, radiation at ground level would increase with estimates suggesting that overall exposure to cosmic radiation would double causing more deaths from cancer.
The electric grid collapse from severe solar storms is a major risk.
As the magnetic field continues to weaken, scientists are highlighting the importance off-the grid energy systems using renewable energy sources to protect us from a black out.
The Earth's climate could also change.
A recent Danish study has found that the earth's weather has been significantly affected by the planet's magnetic field.
They claimed that fluctuations in the number of cosmic rays hitting the atmosphere directly alter the amount of cloud covering the planet.
A weakened magnetosphere will also mean that more aurora will be seen on Earth as solar winds hit the atmosphere.
In terms of life on earth, we do know that many animal species have some form of magnetoreception that enables them to sense the Earth's magnetic field.
They may use this to assist in long-distance navigation during migration.
But it is unclear what impact a reversal might have on such species.
The alteration in the magnetic field during a reversal will weaken its shielding effect, allowing heightened levels of radiation on and above the Earth's surface.
Were this to happen today, the increase in charged particles reaching the Earth would result in increased risks for satellites, aviation, and ground-based electrical infrastructure.
Geomagnetic storms, driven by the interaction of anomalously large eruptions of solar energy with our magnetic field, give us a foretaste of what we can expect with a weakened magnetic shield.
In 2003, the so-called Halloween storm caused local electricity-grid blackouts in Sweden, required the rerouting of flights to avoid communication blackout and radiation risk, and disrupted satellites and communication systems.
But this storm was minor in comparison with other storms of the recent past, such as the 1859 Carrington event, which caused aurorae as far south as the Caribbean.
The impact of a major storm on today's electronic infrastructure is not fully known.
Of course any time spent without electricity, heating, air conditioning, GPS or internet would have a major impact; widespread blackouts could result in economic disruption measuring in tens of billions of dollars a day.
In terms of life on Earth and the direct impact of a reversal on our species we cannot definitively predict what will happen as modern humans did not exist at the time of the last full reversal.
Several studies have tried to link past reversals with mass extinctions – suggesting some reversals and episodes of extended volcanism could be driven by a common cause.
However, there is no evidence of any impending cataclysmic volcanism and so we would only likely have to contend with the electromagnetic impact if the field does reverse relatively soon.
We do know that many animal species have some form of magnetoreception that enables them to sense the Earth's magnetic field.
They may use this to assist in long-distance navigation during migration.
But it is unclear what impact a reversal might have on such species.
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