GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -A compass lines up with the horizontal component of the magnetic field in a direction called magnetic north . True north, on the other hand is the direction from a given location to the north geographic pole. The angle between magnetic north and true north is called magnetic declination.

Detailed explanation-2: -Magnetic declination (sometimes called magnetic variation) is the angle between magnetic north and true north. Declination is positive when this angle is east of true north and negative when it is west. Magnetic declination changes over time, and with location.

Detailed explanation-3: -The difference between true and magnetic north varies by location and over time. In most populated parts of the world, it currently ranges from 30 degrees west (south-eastern tip of Africa) to 26 degrees east (southern tip of New Zealand).

Detailed explanation-4: -The Earth’s magnetic and geographic poles are in different places, and magnetic declination is the angular difference between the direction a compass needle points and the direction to the geographic North Pole. For most of the populated world, this angle is between zero and 30 degrees.

Detailed explanation-5: -Magnetic north is the direction towards the north magnetic pole, which is a wandering point where the Earth’s magnetic field goes vertically down into the planet. The north magnetic pole is currently about 400km south of the north geographic pole, but can move to about 1, 000km away.