[Just mythoughts]

Reversals in the Earth’s magnetic field means, the magnetic poles of the Earth have shifted in short amounts of time, and many more times than once or twice; and the shifts (which are recorded in ferrous rocks that used to be molten lava) are not related to continental drift.

Thank you for your helpful response. I do remember the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake causing a measurable shift of this earth, and then again with the recent quake near Japan. What I have not read is which direction from polar north the earth shifted.

[Explorer89]

I think the big earthquakes nudged the earth’s axis of rotation? I don’t think they affected the earth’s magnetism.

The Japan earthquake this year actually moved the whole island by over a meter. (slid it closer to the mainland, I believe).

http://www.gpsworld.com/survey/news/gps-shows-dramatic-position-shifts-japan-earthquake-11212