: :::::::::::: : I think I may have mis-interpreted his question to mean axial polar shifts, not magnetic ones. I'm aware of these but since his question pertained to Astronomy, I assumed (perhaps mistakenly so) that he meant actual axial polar shifts which to my knowledge have never occurred.

: Anyone have evidence to the contrary? I could be mistaken on this but it does not seem likely under the laws of motion to me. What could possibly cause the gyroscope which is the Earth to shift its polar axis.

-You may want to research Prof. Charles H. Hapgood's theory of 'earth-crust displacement', in which the crust may periodically abruptly shift position in relation to the underlying mantle. Prof. Hapgood also pointed out that the Piri Reis World Map of 1513 shows the Princess Martha Coast of Queen Maud Land, Antarctica - without its present mile thick ice cap, mapped precisely enough for USAF Lt. Colonel Harold Ohlmeyer of the 8 Reconnaissance Technical Squadron (SAC) to agree that the coast must have been mapped before it became covered with ice.

: I know it "wobbles" like a spinning top, with Polaris and Vega being the extreme representatives of the north star at each excentric of the cycle although I can't remember the cyclic length. 24k years?

Yes - this is precession, the period is 25,776 yrs.

• Re: Pole Shifts - daViper - July 30, 1999 - 00:52 UTC
  • Re: Pole Shifts - End of the world (as we know it)??? - August 3, 1999 - 12:56 UTC
    • Re: Pole Shifts - daViper - August 3, 1999 - 19:14 UTC