sentence: Magnetic poles can flip flop from north to south and back again.
sentences_before: For the magnetic poles, their names are decided upon by the direction that their field lines emerge or enter the planet's crust. If they enter the same way as they do for Earth at the north pole, we call this the planet's north magnetic pole.
sentences_after: The Earth's poles have done this repeatedly throughout history, and 500,000 years ago, the south magnetic pole was at the North Pole. It is not known what causes these disruptions.
concept_name: magnetic pole
headings: North Pole Other pages
categories: Arctic