Table of Contents (click to expand)
Both compasses and GPS cannot work normally at the poles. The compass needle will point in any random direction. GPS might be able to tell you your location, but it cannot direct you.
Life has become fairly easy thanks to the invention of the Global Positioning System (GPS), the modern form of navigation. All you need to do is feed the location into the system and GPS will guide you. You basically can’t be lost!
However, the world wasn’t always this simple. GPS is a fairly new technology, so before it existed, the compass was the trusted and true adviser. Compasses have been used since 1 A.D. when they were first constructed by the Han dynasty. In fact, compasses and maps were once smuggled through Monopoly board games to prisoners of war stuck in Germany during World War II.
However, GPS and compasses, like any other technology, are not fail-proof, but instead work differently on different parts of the Earth.
In some places, they might even stop working entirely or work inaccurately!
Recommended Video for you:
The Mystery Of Earth’s Poles
The Earth has two kinds of poles—Geographical and Magnetic. Geographical poles are the northernmost and southernmost points of the Earth, where the axis of rotation meets the surface. Every planet has geographical poles.
However, the continuously shifting magnetic field warrants a new WMM every five years. Basically, you can compare WMM to a normal geographical map. If the landmasses keep shifting, you’ll need a new map every time to determine correct locations. Similarly, if the WMM you’re using is obsolete, a GPS tracker might lead you to the wrong location.
Conclusion
A compass may sound like an outdated device, but your modern GPS would be nothing without a compass. Both work together and help you reach your destination by pointing out locations on the World Magnetic Model map.
In case you travel to either of the planet’s poles, the GPS might still be able to track you, but it won’t be able to help you reach your destination due to the dysfunctional compass!
References (click to expand)
- Smith College Museum of Ancient Inventions: Compass. Smith College
- Monopoly, Maps, and the Great Escape | UC Geography - geog.ucsb.edu
- Compass. University of Alicante
- 9.3 Earth's Magnetic Field – Physical Geology. opentextbc.ca
- How Does GPS Work? | NASA Space Place. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- World Magnetic Model - Uses - NOAA. The United States National Geophysical Data Center
