Earth Magnetosphere
© unknown
In my previous article, "And They March...", I touched on the possibility that the mass death of blackbirds over Beebe, Arkansas was caused by the shockwave from an airbursting bolide or comet fragment. While that explanation seemed to fit with the facts in that specific case, it is clearly apparent that these animal die-offs are now a global phenomenon; and airbursting comets are not the cause of death in all cases. Furthermore, the animals dying are of very diverse types. Everything from cows to octopuses, to crickets are dying in large swaths in disparate regions around the globe. While animal-specific diseases and viruses may be responsible in some cases, there is clearly some larger process at work here that nobody in the mainstream has really grasped.

Shortly after I wrote this article, Niall Bradley mentioned in his article, "Procession of the Damned...", the possibility of these mass animal deaths being caused by magnetic changes. Apparently he's not the only one with magnetic changes in mind. A quick glance at the Google trends for the phrase "pole shift" over the last 12 months (and beyond) shows a big ol' hockey stick, shooting straight through the roof right after the new year!

Pole Shift Trend 12 Months
© Sott.netLast 12 months for the phrase "pole shift" on Google Trends.
Pole Shift Trends 30 Days
© Sott.netThe last 30 days for the phrase "pole shift" on Google Trends.

So while the geomagnetic field hasn't significantly shifted yet, it appears something has shifted in the minds of the public about such a possibility. In fact, here on SOTT.net we recently carried a story, "Shift of Earth's Magnetic North Pole Impacts Tampa Airport" which, according to our webmaster, and to our general surprise, was the most popular article on the site that day. The Tampa airport article simply states that the Tampa airport authorities are having to repaint one of their runways because it is no longer aligned with true magnetic north. No big deal, right?

But come to think of it, if a tiny magnetic (likely localized) shift is enough to throw a spanner in the works of air travel, I can't even imagine the chaos that would ensue during a complete magnetic reversal. As we'll see below, hindered air travel will probably be the least of our worries.

The Planet Electric

While there isn't much known about how changes in the Earth's magnetic environment could affect humans and other animals, we can probably suppose that the changes could be broad and may even include changes in consciousness or cognition. Remember, per Niall Bradley's article, that areas of Earthly magnetic anomalies are hotbeds for UFO sightings and other High Strangeness. This is certainly one facet to keep in mind when discussing the possible changes a pole shift might bring.

Magnetic Reversal Extinction
© Popular Science; Jan 88; p73Graphs showing the coincidence between geomagnetic reversals (3 - red), sea level drops (3 - orange) and mass extinctions (4 - red).
It has also been put forth as a serious hypothesis that mass extinctions either coincide with, or are caused by, changes in the Earth's magnetic orientation. Whether a magnetic change is the direct cause or just another effect stemming from a larger catastrophe is so far unknown. It appears that there is some correlation between magnetic reversals, ice ages, sea level drops and likely a whole host of other data indicative of catastrophic activity (see graph to the right).

One well-known theory posits that during these geomagnetic reversals, there is a period of time when the Earth's magnetic field is null, and this then allows large amounts of solar and cosmic radiation to strike the surface of the Earth, sterilizing it of all life. However, while this may explain extinctions, this would not explain sea level changes, ice ages, markers of volcanic activity and even markers of cometary bombardment. Given all of these factors, there is a need to sort out cause from effect.

Speaking of solar and cosmic radiation, several days prior to the Beebe, Arkansas blackbird deaths, a massive coronal hole opened up on the sun causing a deluge of charged particles to strike the Earth. Mitch Battross at Earth Changes Media describes the recent event:
When this [coronal hole opens up], the solar magnetic field opens up and allows solar wind (charged particles) to escape. The initial hit from this pulse could hit Earth within 8 minutes to 24 hours. The following stream of charged particles flowing from this coronal hole reached Earth late January 2nd 2011.

This scenario fits perfectly with the string of occurrences beginning January 1st with the death of some 5,000 birds in Arkansas. Migrant birds follow "magnetic lay-lines" which direct them during seasonal change. Marine mammals such as whales and dolphins also are directed by magnetics.
Image
The Earth's magnetic field is not a static fixed feature of the planet. It extends many Earth-radii into space in a layered configuration and is very sensitive to space weather coming from the Sun. During intense solar storms, such as the recent one described above, this field surrounding the Earth can shrink to dangerous levels, allowing large amounts of radiation to strike the surface. According to one science writer who described these coronal mass ejections (CME):
[T]he sun also can spawn billion-ton clouds of plasma and their associated magnetic fields. Traveling at more than 1 million mph, some of these coronal mass ejections [...] may arrive at the Earth in only a few days.

In many ways, they actually are more noxious than the more familiar solar flares. CMEs pummel Earth's magnetic field like a sledgehammer 1 million miles wide and upset the delicate balances of trapped particles in the Van Allen radiation belts and elsewhere within the boundaries of Earth's magnetic field. [...]

Some effects of solar storms were far beyond the nuisance level, especially at higher latitudes. In August 1972, a 230,000-volt transformer at the British Columbia Hydroelectric Authority blew up when shifting magnetic fields induced a current spike. On March 13, 1989, a storm plunged Quebec into a complete power blackout, affecting millions.

Over the years, such failures -- which follow the sunspot cycle -- have caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.
aurora borealis
© Orvar Atli Thorgeirsson/Barcrott Media2010: This year the northern lights have produced some stunning scenes.
These 'sledgehammers' of charged particles compress the Earth's magnetic field on the daylight side and extend it on the nighttime side. The charge then loops around and enters the earth's atmosphere at the polar regions exciting gas molecules in the atmosphere and causing Aurora Borealis, spectacular sunsets and so on. The Earth has been pummeled by these solar storms in the past without experiencing massive animal die-offs though, so it seems that something is still missing from the equation.

Despite problems that solar and cosmic radiation pose, the fact is that our brain activity and many of our body processes are tied to the electromagnetic rhythms of the Earth in very intricate ways. Early astronauts in the US and Soviet space programs became aware of this problem when they suffered unnamed illnesses after returning to Earth. It was later determined that "the sickness the astronauts exhibited upon returning home was discovered to have been caused by the lack of magnetic fields in outer space. In subsequent flights, NASA placed magnets in both the spaceships and the astronauts' space suits". It seems that the human body is accustomed to living in an optimal magnetic environment. (It kind of makes you wonder what our obsession with electrical gadgets and gizmos is doing to our health.)

Not only is the Earth's magnetic field important, but we also need certain low-frequency electromagnetic radiation too. This radiation is caused by lightning setting up electrical standing waves between the Earth's surface and the ionosphere. The term used to denote this phenomenon is called the Schumann Resonance. The frequency of these waves depends on the cavity height between the ground and ionosphere. This little video below should suffice to explain why these waves are important.


Many suspect that the HAARP facility in Fairbanks, Alaska can manipulate the height of this electrical cavity between the ground and the ionosphere too, creating temporary and localized changes in these waves. While this is certainly noteworthy, a solar storm would essentially do the same thing, only on a much broader scale. As expected, there are rumors that HAARP, or some similar technology, could be causing these mass animal die-offs. However, this is unlikely.

HAARP cannot match the power of a CME (remember 'sledghammer') and thus would be overshadowed by any activity of this sort from the sun. That isn't to say that HAARP can't change brainwave states in a localized region though -- and this may be its primary purpose. As we'll see later on, the sun, and the flux of charged particles hitting the Earth, is likely the foremost cause of any major Earth or weather changes happening right now. In other words, we need to start looking up at the skies and into space instead of looking for some man-made cause.

So when it comes to these mass animal die-offs, we still come back to the question, "what changed?" And does this change have anything to do with the Earth's magnetic field like so many have speculated?

Getting Our Bearing Straight: A New Planet Dynamo Theory

Part of the problem may be how we've been trained through mainstream science to think about the Earth's magnetic field. We're told that this field originates somewhere deep within the Earth's core where flowing iron magma forms electric currents that, in turn, set up a magnetic dipole, essentially turning the earth into a big electromagnet. This field is then projected outwards far into space influencing the path of charged particles, and so on... While this theory may help keep some geologists and astronomers employed, there are a lot of problems with it. For instance, it doesn't readily explain the nature of magnetic fields on the gas-giant planets as we'll see below.

Planet-X Comets and Earth Changes Cover
© jmccanneyscience.com press
In her recent article on Comet Elenin, Laura Knight-Jadczyk mentions the work of Professor James McCanney and his electrodynamic theories of the solar system -- specifically the electrodynamic nature of comets. McCanney researched and taught at Cornell University for a number of years back in the early 1980s before he was ostracized and eventually kicked out for his 'heretical' - although scientifically totally sound - views on astronomy. It seems that ideas about electricity in space were too far-out for the establishment to tolerate; nothing much has changed to this day it seems. I have McCanney's book, Planet-X, Comets & Earth Changes sitting in front of me right now, and I'd have to say that he's come up with a pretty interesting theory of Earth's magnetic field (among many other things). Here's some of what he has to say about this topic of planetary magnetic fields:
Take for example the topic of moons and magnetic fields of the planets. It has long been recognized that only the planets with moons have substantial magnetic fields. [This] can now can be understood from the basis of electrodynamics of the solar capacitor. All the planets and moons are involved, to a degree, in the discharging of the solar capacitor. The moons charge electrically just as comet nuclei do. Electrical currents connecting to the associated planet are the factors that create and maintain at least part of the non-permanent planetary magnetic fields. [McCanney, 2002, p18]
What McCanney is basically saying here is that there is some relationship between moons, planetary magnetic fields and the sun that has so far been overlooked by mainstream science. The fact that this has been overlooked is not so hard to imagine after reading his whole book. As we suspect here on SOTT.net, mainstream astronomy and science have been corrupted by powerful interest groups that do not have humanity's best interests at heart. Keeping us ignorant of the real extraterrestrial forces that control the cycles on Earth is largely their agenda.

Getting back to what McCanney says here, one concept that needs further explanation is the "solar capacitor". To understand this concept, we first have to understand what a capacitor is. A capacitor is an electrical device that has two conductive (i.e. metal) plates separated by a dielectric (some material that does not conduct electricity, like mica, glass, some strong plastic or even air). When a large number of electrons build up on one plate, the other plate loses a similar number of electrons to balance things out. This shows that charge (or electrons) are conserved in any electrical circuit.

Capacitor
© qsl.netSimple Capacitor
To apply this concept to the solar system, think of the sun and the outer edge of the solar system as being like two oppositely charged plates in a capacitor. Only instead of two flat metal plates, the solar system forms a cylindrical or spherical capacitor. The surface of the sun has a net negative charge and the outer gasses and dust that surround the solar system have a net positive charge -- just like the plates on a capacitor.

Like any real capacitor, it is not perfect; charge (or electrons) always leaks from one side to the other. This happens naturally over time, but there are situations in space that cause the solar capacitor to discharge at a faster rate. Comets (or any large object in space), traveling in a highly eccentric orbit, set up conductive pathways for the solar capacitor to discharge. When a comet forms a tail, which gives it the traditional look of a mature comet, this is not ice and dust falling off, thus forming the tail, but a plasma created from powerful electric currents passing through the comet from the sun.

The interesting thing about this theory is that the planets can also create conductive paths for the solar capacitor to discharge. This is why planetary alignments and even planet-to-comet alignments can be of interest. A planet passing through a conductive zone created through some planetary or cometary alignment would receive a greater than normal flux of electric current. In other words, the planet gets zapped. According to McCanney this causes higher probabilities of earthquakes, volcanism and extreme weather -- and we've certainly seen our fair share of all of these recently! This is likely an indication of a lot of activity going on 'out there'. There are other nuances to this concept of the solar capacitor, but they are beyond the scope of this article. His book does a good job at explaining this concept in layman's terms.

Once we see that electrical forces do play a role in our solar system, we can apply this to Earth and its magnetic field. In fact, the Earth's magnetic field turns out to be much more complex than a simple electromagnet formed from flowing iron magma beneath the crust. McCanney describes the Earth's magnetic field as composed of various layers. Here is a description of this from the Planet-X book:
Therefore on Earth I have devised a model of the Earth's magnetic field which has at least 5 of more layers or components. The innermost is rather small and is deep within the central core of the Earth. This of course is where the initial comet nucleus resides that was the initial "seed" of the comet that formed planet Earth a very long time ago (most probably billions of years ago). In the outer crust and mantle of the Earth are deposits of iron and nickel which hold pockets or regions of magnetic fields. Examples of such regions are the Mesabi Iron Range area of Northern Minnesota. For whatever reason, there is a very rich deposit of iron that man has used to provide strong localized magnetic fields. Compasses are worthless for finding directions in these areas. [...]

There are many other "variable layers" of the Earth's magnetic field. These are caused by a complex interaction of the solar wind with our existing small inner or permanent magnetic field and here is how it works. It is based on the principle that magnetic fields tend to align with each other. As the solar wind blows past Earth, the solar wind particles interact with the small permanent magnetic field. The electrons are forced to bend outwards and around Earth in one direction and the protons move in the other direction. This flow causes the Earth's ionosphere to set up 3 distinct current flows that make up the major jet streams of our upper atmosphere. At the temperate latitudes the positive ions flow easterly, while at the equator there is an electron jet stream that flows westerly or towards the west.

These currents make up what I call the variable magnetic field and as long as the solar wind is constant and smooth, our overall magnetic field is stable and constant in the northerly direction and aligned with the permanent core magnetic field. There is an additional minor component of electrical currents just like that in the ionosphere that is induced in the mantle, crust and viscous molten layers in the interior of the Earth.

Not to complicate this further but there are two external layers further out in space from the Earth's surface. The first is pair of radiation belts known as the Van Allen belts (rings of high energy particles that circle our globe) and outside that much farther is the outer current of the solar wind itself that adds to the outer shell of the multi-layered magnetic field. [McCanney, 2002, p19-20]
Magnetosphere
© UnknownEarth's Magnetosphere showing various layers.
In one of McCanney's papers he writes about the influence that moons have on a planet's magnetic field:
The empirical correlation between moons and planetary magnetic fields has been known for some time and is unmistakably accurate, especially in light of recent Voyager I and II data. [...]

With the realization that charged bodies exist in space, and that the Moon, Mercury and other celestial bodies wander from Keplarian orbits, the following generalizations can be stated. The basic assumption is that the magnetic fields are induced by the star or planet spinning with a slightly charged body orbiting around it.
So the idea here is that the entire Earth-Moon-Sun system works as a whole to generate the Earth's unique magnetic field. The solar wind, the Moon, the ionosphere layers (which in turn cause the jet streams), the crustal layer, the molten layer and the very core of the Earth are all part of this system. Each layer builds on itself. The interesting part of all of this is that it's not just the interior of the Earth that forms the magnetic field, as most geologists suppose, the system is ultimately at the mercy of external forces in the solar system (the Sun and the Moon predominantly). McCanney believes external forces are likely to cause the periodic shifts in the Earth's magnetic orientation.

What I also find intriguing is the role that moons plays in the formation of planetary magnetic fields. Taking a quick survey of the solar system, it is true that only those planets that contain sizable moons have any significant magnetic field to speak of. According to McCanney, the reason for this is that planetary magnetic fields are powered by a planet spinning with a charged body orbiting around it (e.g. moon). So while a solid planet may have a certain level of internal magnetism, the size and strength of its magnetic field is largely an product of dynamics between the planet and its moon(s).

This also means that other highly charged bodies such as comets could potentially throw the natural dynamo of a planet-moon-sun system into chaos, if they passed close enough. This mechanism of cometary fly-by is what McCanney postulates as the cause of magnetic pole reversals. This means that instead of staring at the ground and waiting for the magnetic poles of the planet to magically shift, perhaps we should be looking into space and watching for any impending signs "out there".

It seems that there is something really off about the current dynamo theory as proposed by mainstream astronomers and geologists. This theory may work for Earth, but it falls apart completely when it comes to the outer planets. In Uranus and Neptune we see that the magnetic pole axis is very far removed from each planet's rotational axis both in direction and offset (see image below). If the mainstream theorists are correct, then this implies some process of internal fluid favoring one side of these planets instead of a process more-or-less centered at the core. The theorizing becomes a bit absurd at this point. However, if we accept what McCanney says, then there is probably a lot more going on to form these magnetic fields than the simplistic notions that mainstream astronomers suppose; the lunar configuration, the solar wind, and the rotational period may play a large role in determining how the magnetic field manifests.

Planet Magnetic Fields
© 2007 Thompson Higher EducationComparison between the rotational axis and the magnetic fields of all the major planets.
Recently there was an article written on the Modern Survival Blog titled, "Pole Shift: North Races, South Crawls". The author presents a boatload of data showing that, while the Earth's magnetic north pole is racing towards Siberia, the south pole is actually slowing down. This means that the magnetic pole axis of earth does not pass straight through the planet, but favors one side instead. He writes:
Could the Outer Core, or part of it, be offset somehow, causing the magnetic pole axis to pass through one side of the planet more than the other? Wouldn't that cause the planet to wobble?

Is the iron consistency changing in one part of the Outer Core more than the other?

If the Outer Core is 'centered' with the rest of the earth, and the molten iron composition is considered to be relatively consistent, do these observations indicate that the magnetic axis is actually bending or warping as it passes through the planet?
Earth Magnetic Pole Top Bottom View
© ModernSurvivalBlog.comTop and bottom view of Earth's magnetic pole axis. Shows how the pole favors one side of the planet.
As it turns out, this may be a moot point. It may not be necessary to think of one side of the planet being somehow unique as the author suggests. As stated above, this is exactly what we see on Uranus and Neptune, only in more extreme forms; on these outer-planets the magnetic pole axis is nowhere near passing through the center of the planet.

But according to McCanney's theory, these pole wanderings may not be due to any internal planetary changes, but by changes in our external environment which includes the Moon, sun and other charged bodies passing by the planet. Perhaps even subtle changes in the Moon and how it charges electrically could produce such changes? Perhaps the solar wind is changing somehow and causing these shifts?

Food for the Moon (And Other Charged Cometary Bodies)

Before I conclude, I want to mention some classic text from P.D. Ouspensky's book In Search of the Miraculous where he quotes the mystic and spiritual teacher George Ivanovich Gurdjieff in a talk given in Moscow almost a century ago. Gurdjieff, as some know, was a man who possessed a great deal of knowledge in esoteric matters, although it is unclear exactly where he received his knowledge. Those who have taken the time to study Gurdjieff know that he was dead-on with his descriptions of psychology and psychological development. Modern psychology and neuroscience are just starting to catch up with him in many ways.

Gurdjieff
© UnknownGeorge Ivanovich Gurdjieff
Gurdjieff also made a lot of interesting remarks about the sciences and man's place in the Universe. One of his most cryptic remarks revolves around Man's relationship to the Moon. He stated flat-out that we are "food for the Moon". Many believe this phrase holds some deep esoteric meaning -- and it very well might -- but there might be a 'plain sight' scientific basis for it as well. Gurdjieff also made some other interesting comments about the Moon which fit closely with what McCanney says. In talking about the possible energy exchanges between the Earth and the Moon, Gurdjieff states:
This energy is collected and preserved in a huge accumulator situated on the earth's surface. This accumulator is organic life on earth. Organic life on earth feeds the moon. Everything living on the earth, people, animals, plants, is food for the moon. The moon is a huge living being feeding upon all that lives and grows on the earth. The moon could not exist without organic life on earth, any more than organic life on earth could exist without the moon. Moreover, in relation to organic life, the moon is a huge electromagnet. If the action of the electromagnet were suddenly to stop, organic life would crumble to nothing.
What he says here makes sense if we consider that the Moon may be necessary for sustaining the Earth's broad magnetic field which protects Man and all other creatures from cosmic radiation. How could organic life on the surface of the Earth survive without such an ideal magnetic environment? It couldn't -- at least not on the surface. And if what McCanney theorizes is true, then the Moon is an indispensable part of the Earth's unique magnetic environment. Also, Gurdjieff mentions that the moon is a "huge electromagnet" in relation to life on Earth. Keep in mind that Gurdjieff made this statement in the very early 1900's before there was any knowledge of electric effects in the solar system and the planets. Gurdjieff was certainly ahead of his time it seems.

Image
© Unknown
Getting back to pole shifts and Earth changes, it was recently observed that Greenland experienced its first sunrise two days early this year. So far this has remained a mystery, but it hasn't stopped people from connecting this event with the mass animal die-offs and magnetic pole wanderings.

One thing that McCanney points out is that the Earth's crust does contain permanent magnetic zones that are aligned, on average, in a northerly direction. If the Earth's magnetic field is really changing due to external forces, then these large magnetic domains in the crust may be the last thing to experience the shift. As the changing external field pulls these domains in a new direction, this could cause heaving, earthquakes, volcanoes and perhaps even land elevation changes until the crust becomes stable in a new configuration. If the land elevation is changing, this may explain why Greenland saw the sun return a bit earlier this year. This makes more sense than the catch-all global warming explanations floating around right now.

Coming back full circle to those blackbirds in Beebe, Arkansas, I'll hold to my hypothesis that their deaths could have been caused by a airbursting bolide or comet. It seems that Earth wasn't the only celestial object impacted during this time. A Chinese probe recently captured video of a meteor impact on the Moon's surface. Several sun-diving comets were also sighted just before this period. According to Karl Battams of the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C., within a period of ten days starting on December 13th, 2010, "the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) detected 25 comets diving into the sun." As noted by Battams in the original article, this is highly unusual.

According to McCanney there would have to be a highly charged comet passing near the Earth to cause a complete flip of the Earth's magnetic field. Perhaps we've just been given a small taste of things to come? And if a large (meaning planet- or moon-sized) comet ever grazes the Earth, you can be sure that there will be more than a few animal die-offs. Afterwards, we'd be lucky to recognize the Earth's surface -- assuming anybody is still alive.