Wegener dies in 1930 and his idea dies with him. Magnetism and Paleomagnetism Earth is a bar magnet with a magnetic north and south. At poles a compass needle dips vertically. Downward at the north pole, upward at the south pole and horizontal at the equator. Magnetic poles do not correspond with geographic poles.
Variation is termed the magnetic declination.
It is 16 degrees east in California. However, it has been found that even though the magnetic and geographic poles do not correspond today when the location of the magnetic north pole is averaged over a 5,000 year period it does correspond with geographic north. Magnetic pole moves as much as 25 km per year. Causes of Earth's Magnetism First thought to be the result of a permanently magnetized core. However, it has been shown that when any substance is heated above 500 degrees C it looses its permanent magnetism.