Four North Poles?
There are four “North Poles” that can be defined in the Arctic:
+ Geographic North Pole (also known as True North): The northernmost point of the Earth as determined by the northern axis of its rotation. It has a known fixed position, at latitude 90° North.
+ Magnetic North Pole: A moving location where lines of magnetic force enter and exit the Earth vertically. The north point of a magnetic compass points to this pole. It’s location was discovered by James Clark Ross in 1831.
+ Geomagnetic North Pole: The pole of the Earth’s geomagnetic field that surrounds the Earth and extends into space as the magnetosphere. This is the centre of the region in which the Northern Lights can be seen.
+ North Pole of Inaccessibility: At approximately 85°N-175°W, this represents the point on the surface of the Arctic Ocean which is the farthest distance (about 1100 km / 684 miles) from any coastline.
The North Geomagnetic Pole is the north end of the axis of the magnetosphere, the geomagnetic field that surrounds the Earth and extends into space. It is the center of the region in which the Northern Lights or “Aurora Borealis” are seen.