CompassA modern military compass, with included sight device for aligningA compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It typically consists of a magnetized needle or another element, such as a compass card or compass rose, that pivots to align itself with magnetic north. Other methods may be used, including gyroscopes, magnetometers, and GPS receivers.
South magnetic poleThe south magnetic pole, also known as the magnetic south pole, is the point on Earth's Southern Hemisphere where the geomagnetic field lines are directed perpendicular to the nominal surface. The Geomagnetic South Pole, a related point, is the south pole of an ideal dipole model of Earth's magnetic field that most closely fits Earth's actual magnetic field.
Earth's magnetic fieldEarth's magnetic field, also known as the geomagnetic field, is the magnetic field that extends from Earth's interior out into space, where it interacts with the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun.
MagnetA magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel, cobalt, etc. and attracts or repels other magnets. A permanent magnet is an object made from a material that is magnetized and creates its own persistent magnetic field.
Northern CanadaNorthern Canada (French: le Nord du Canada), colloquially the North or the Territories, is the vast northernmost region of Canada, variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. This area covers about 48 per cent of Canada's total land area, but has less than 0.5 per cent of Canada's population.
North PoleThe North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distinguish from the Magnetic North Pole. The North Pole is by definition the northernmost point on the Earth, lying antipodally to the South Pole. It defines geodetic latitude 90° North, as well as the direction of true north.
Ellesmere IslandEllesmere Island is Canada's northernmost and third largest island, and the tenth largest in the world. It comprises an area of 197,790.33 km2 (76,367.27 sq mi), slightly smaller than Great Britain, and the total length of the island is 830 km (520 mi). Lying within the Arctic Archipelago, Ellesmere Island is considered part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands.
ArcticPolar region of the Earth's northern hemisphereThe Arctic Circle, currently at roughly 66° north of the Equator, defines the boundary of the Arctic seas and landsA political map showing land ownership within the Arctic regionArtificially coloured topographical map of the Arctic regionMODIS image of the ArcticAerial photo of the Greenlandic Ice SheetThe Arctic (; from Ancient Greek ἄρκτος (árktos) 'bear') is the polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying north of the Arctic Circle.
Magnetic dipMagnetic dip, dip angle, or magnetic inclination is the angle made with the horizontal by Earth's magnetic field lines. This angle varies at different points on Earth's surface. Positive values of inclination indicate that the magnetic field of Earth is pointing downward, into Earth, at the point of measurement, and negative values indicate that it is pointing upward.
Earth's outer coreEarth's outer core is a fluid layer about 2,260 km (1,400 mi) thick, composed of mostly iron and nickel that lies above Earth's solid inner core and below its mantle. The outer core begins approximately 2,889 km (1,795 mi) beneath Earth's surface at the core-mantle boundary and ends 5,150 km (3,200 mi) beneath Earth's surface at the inner core boundary. PropertiesThe outer core of Earth is liquid, unlike its inner core, which is solid.Geological Survey of CanadaThe Geological Survey of Canada (GSC; French: Commission géologique du Canada, CGC) is a Canadian federal government agency responsible for performing geological surveys of the country developing Canada's natural resources and protecting the environment. A branch of the Geoscience and Earth Monitoring Sector of Natural Resources Canada, the GSC is the country's oldest scientific agency and was one of its first government organizations.
Northern HemisphereThe Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane the Solar System as Earth's North Pole. Due to Earth's axial tilt of 23.439281°, there is a seasonal variation in the lengths of the day and night. There is also a seasonal variation in temperatures, which lags the variation in day and night.
AntipodesDiametrically opposite points on Earth's surface*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.