Evening star., 1952-10-10
North Geomognetic Pole
occupied Last Summer
Navy Scientists Corry Out
Greenland Ice Cop Tests
By Thomos R. Henry


Navy scientists during the summer
just past occupied" the north geomag-
netic pole of the earth.
It is the third of the planets north
poles," now probably visited for the first
time. It is spot just east of the Kane
Basin in Western Greenland at precisely
north latitude 1875 and west longitude So.
The pole is located on the Greenland
icecap in smooth area Of blue-green
ice about 1000 feet thick. according to
1t. M. S. Jones, the expedition leader.
This is a quite different pole" 1t.
Jones explained, from the constantly
shifting north magnetic pole, now 10
Gated temporarily in the far northern
Canadian island Axel Heiberg Land.
about 500 miles from the North Pole
itself. This is the point where COM
pass needle on free axis will point
straight down. 1t also is the point to
which, in theory, magnetic needles point
anywhere north of the equator. Its
location had to be found by explorers.
OF late years. however. the precise loca-
ton has been somewhat in doubt be-
cause of the tendency to shift.
Located BY Calculation.
The exact location of the quite differ
ent geomagnetic pole, or geomagnetic
zero. was determined about Is years ago
purely by mathematical calculation in
a comfortable office. All that was nee
eSSary was to go where the mathematical
solution indicated and set up camp.
The geomagnetic pole, however. prob
ably is of more significance to present
day research than the magnetic pole It
Self-perhaps even than the North Pole.
1t Is the point on the earth's surface
in the precise direction of which cosmic
rays, the mysterious infinitesimially min
ute projectiles from outer space which
constantly are bombarding the planet,
are least deviated from their courses.
These cosmic rays are probably the most
important known clue to the structure
of the universe.
These coSmic rays, some of them with
force of a billion billion electron volts,
approach the earth in straight lines with
approximately the velocity of light,
about 180, 900 miles second. When they
come to about a million miles Of the
earth they are twisted little from their
straight paths by the magnetic field Of
the earth, whose centers are the north
and south magnetic poles.
Point Shifts Yearly.
There is one point in both Northern
and Southern Hemispheres. however.
when this deviation is corrected, for
various rather complicated reasons.
They still are deviated, but very little.
These points are the two geomagnetio
poles. The Antarctic pole can be de-
termined without great difficulty, but
it never has been visited. Probably 1t
never will be In the lifetime of the
present generation. The north geo.
magnetic pole. however, Is relatively
easy Of access.
The point shifts little from year to
year. The place indicated by mathe-
matical equation this year was occupied
by nine naval officers and civilians,
under the command of 1t. Jones.
The civilian scientists were from New
York University, the University of Iowa,
the Naval Research Laboratory, the Ma
tional Institute of Health, the Bartel
Research Foundation of Philadelphia,
the University of Rochester, the Uni
versity of Chicago and the University
Of Minnesota.
From this point on the blue green ice
they sent UP plastic high altitude
balloons with various instruments to
measure the incoming cosmic rays, which
are related to the many problems of both
physics and health.
Among the minor interests in the
geomagnetic pole is the fact that it
appears to be the center from which
proceed the mysterious northern lights.