Jane Stafford, age 11, of Ravena, ow or , for her question:

 Where is the North Magnetic Pole?

Use your handsome gift globe to find Latitude 73 degrees North and Longitude 100 degrees West. These lines cross at a place in Northern Canada, northwest of Hudson Bay. This is the region of the earth's North Magnetic Pole. It is an oval area, about one thousand miles south of the true North Pole.

The biggest magnet in the world is the earth itself. Some say that it gets this magnetism from the huge core of nickel and iron in the center of the globe. In any case, the big earth magnet has two poles like any other magnet. These magnetic poles, one in Canada and one in Antarctica, attract the needle of a magnetic compass.

The mariner depends upon his compass needle to point out the north direction. But the magnetic needle is not entirely accurate. It actually points to the North Magnetic Pole a thousand miles south of the true North Pole. In most places over the globe the difference is so slight that no harm is done. In other places it is necessary to make some adjustment in reading the compass.

The earth's magnetic poles do not always work with equal force. There are times when they are affected by magnetic storms on the sun. The United States Coast Guard and the Geodetic Society are busy noting and reporting the changes in the earth's North Magnetic Pole.