The current understanding of the earth's magnetic field does not explain how turtles, butterflies, salmon, or the entire wildlife kingdom get back to their homes - or does it? A new look at the earth's magnetism opens a new door to our understanding of nature.
Nature is so amazing that we are still trying to understand how it works. One of the great complexities of nature is how wildlife returns to their place of their birth for reproduction, or to repeat their life cycle, year after year.
These complex relationships cannot be explained by the classic theory of earth's magnetism by itself. I have studied engineering and physics for many years, and my wife has followed nature for many years. In our conversations, I have long been perplexed by this phenomenon, where many different forms of life can return to nearly the exact same locations.
An Internal Compass for Wildlife?
For example, fish and birds return to the place of their birth. Different fish and birds return to different locations. Surely, their memories from birth are inadequate to navigate the ocean.
Salmon travel through the Pacific Ocean and return to Alaska every year to spawn (Figure 1, "How do salmon know where their home is when they return from the ocean?", click here).
Turtles travel through the Atlantic Ocean, and return to South Carolina beaches every year to lay their eggs (Figure 2, "Sea turtle migration", .seeturtles.org/sea-turtle-migration).
Butterflies die in their travels, and their offspring return to the same location (Figure 3). Butterflies fly north and south in North America, where Monarch butterflies return to Mexico every year. More importantly, some butterflies were released on the eastern coast of the US, and "know" how to not only travel south, but they travelled west to get to Mexico ("Monarch butterfly migration and overwintering", click here).
How can this fish and game return? A compass, as we know, only shows one direction, and a compass alone cannot find a destination.
After years of confusion on my part, and no map to follow, I have discovered a 'magnetic code' that can be used for wildlife to follow back to their homes. Is there an internal compass?
A New Magnetic Code
A new magnetic code can be used as an internal compass, even though new research must follow this initial discovery. Let me explain this new magnetic code. This new code is based on the fact that for each side - or each half - of our planet, every single location has a unique magnetic field strength and direction.
Figure 4 clarifies this statement. Two points are shown in this figure at a distance nearly half-way around the world. Point A and point B have the same magnetic field strength and direction. Each and every location between points A and B is uniquely identified by its own magnitude and direction with respect to the magnetic energy on the face of the earth.
Using these unique identifiers, a code can be established for any form of wildlife to return to its place of origin.
Historically, we were taught that magnetic field lines around the earth were parallel lines, similar to a simple bar magnet. But this simplified assumption is incorrect. The magnetic field varies in intensity and direction all over the globe. These variations permit unique identifications on each side of the globe.
This statement is demonstrated by a consideration of the earth's magnetic field lines (Figure 5). Note that the magnetic field varies from true North for different latitudes and longitudes, which provides discrete identifiers at different locations. Also, note that the magnetic field changes over time, which further complicates the use of this new code over long periods of time.
Figure 4: Magnetic field strength for one-quarter of our planet.
(Image by US government) Details DMCA
A Missing Link
The missing link for this new theory is how each form of life can use this newly interpreted information to get home. At this point, I make a theoretical leap of faith that needs to be experimentally established. I assume that there is an anatomical part of different forms of life that physically aligns with specific magnetic code locations.
To study this theory, I suggest that salmon from different river locations - or other fish and game - should be examined with detailed MRI scans and electron microcopy to determine anatomical differences that indicate directionally oriented anatomical parts of the fish or game. Such differences would further open the door to understanding migration patterns of fish and wildlife. More importantly, the magnetic direction finder in life forms is probably biologically microscopic.
In such a case, tests should subject migrating organisms to a magnetic field. By changing the magnetic field direction, the organism should change its direction of movement. For example, a series of temporary electromagnets can be installed in a wider part of a migratory river for salmon to change the direction of swimming salmon, Then, salmon cells from different geological locations should be investigated with electron microscopes.
These first steps will lead to a better understanding of magnetic coding in other creatures as well.
Once these steps are complete, further analysis can be performed with respect to magnetic directions. Evaluations would include, but would not be limited to: orientations of DNA (Figure 6), chemical concentrations, DNA density, genetic time scales for DNA mutations, time scales for magnetic field changes, and other biologically related chemicals. Note that DNA orientation can be imprinted by local magnetic forces on DNA structures. The issues will be complex, but technology will move forward.
Whales?
Since solar storms are a form of electromagnetic energy, whales may be affected by both solar storms and electromagnetic radar communications, assuming that magnetic sensors are the basis for whale navigation, ("Left stranded: US military sonar linked to whale beachings in Pacific, say scientists", click here; "There's a Peculiar Link Between Whales Beaching Themselves And Solar Storms", click here).
Note that some people believe that sonar is the problem for misdirecting whales, and some people believe that sonar is the problem, where sonar is a form of sound and radar is a form of electromagnetism. Both forms of energy are used by people for underwater activities.
The evidence presented here concludes that radar interferes with navigation by whales. We have many questions with respect to whales, electromagnetics, and the earth's magnetic field at this point in time (Figure 7).
Again the issues are complicated, where genetics may be involved in imprinting local magnetic conditions on DNA at the moment of the conception of life for different species.
Navigation On Our Planet
This new discovery is also pertinent to navigation of vehicles. Computer programming of the earth's magnetic field will enable global positioning without the use of satellite global-positioning systems. Targeting a magnetic field coordinate on one side of our planet can directly aim a vehicle or weapon at that specific point on the planet surface.
Where Is This Technology Headed?
Yes, this research is new and not fully explained, but new discoveries must start somewhere. This initial research presents solid scientific evidence to carve the start of a technological path for others to work with.
There may be many interrelationships between this new magnetic code and other wildlife behavior. Together, we can accomplish much more than we can accomplish alone.
(Article changed on Apr 23, 2023 at 6:33 AM EDT)
