A magnetic resonance imaging system (200, 300) for acquiring magnetic resonance data (242,244) from an imaging zone, wherein the magnetic resonance imaging system comprises: - a processor for controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system; and - a memory for storing machine executable instructions (250, 252, 254, 256, 258) for execution by the processor, wherein execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor to repeatedly: - control the magnetic resonance imaging system to acquire a portion of the magnetic resonance data, wherein each portion of the magnetic resonance data comprises navigator data; - create a set of navigator vectors by extracting the navigator data from each portion of the magnetic resonance data; - construct a dissimilarity matrix (246, 400, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1100, 1400, 1500) by calculating a metric between each of the set of navigator vectors, wherein the metric is a mathematical function that generates a value to indicate the similarity between each of the set of navigator vectors; - generate a matrix classification of the dissimilarity matrix using a classification algorithm, wherein the classification algorithm is a pattern recognition algorithm operable for selecting the matrix classification, wherein the matrix classification indicates various types of internal or external motion of a subject; and - control the magnetic resonance imaging system to modify acquisition of the magnetic resonance data using the matrix classification. - a processor for controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system; and - a memory for storing machine executable instructions (250, 252, 254, 256, 258) for execution by the processor, wherein execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor to repeatedly: - control the magnetic resonance imaging system to acquire a portion of the magnetic resonance data, wherein each portion of the magnetic resonance data comprises navigator data; - create a set of navigator vectors by extracting the navigator data from each portion of the magnetic resonance data; - construct a dissimilarity matrix (246, 400, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1100, 1400, 1500) by calculating a metric between each of the set of navigator vectors, wherein the metric is a mathematical function that generates a value to indicate the similarity between each of the set of navigator vectors; - generate a matrix classification of the dissimilarity matrix using a classification algorithm, wherein the classification algorithm is a pattern recognition algorithm operable for selecting the matrix classification, wherein the matrix classification indicates various types of internal or external motion of a subject; and - control the magnetic resonance imaging system to modify acquisition of the magnetic resonance data using the matrix classification. - control the magnetic resonance imaging system to acquire a portion of the magnetic resonance data, wherein each portion of the magnetic resonance data comprises navigator data; - create a set of navigator vectors by extracting the navigator data from each portion of the magnetic resonance data; - construct a dissimilarity matrix (246, 400, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1100, 1400, 1500) by calculating a metric between each of the set of navigator vectors, wherein the metric is a mathematical function that generates a value to indicate the similarity between each of the set of navigator vectors; - generate a matrix classification of the dissimilarity matrix using a classification algorithm, wherein the classification algorithm is a pattern recognition algorithm operable for selecting the matrix classification, wherein the matrix classification indicates various types of internal or external motion of a subject; and - control the magnetic resonance imaging system to modify acquisition of the magnetic resonance data using the matrix classification.