The magnetic field is changing and along with it the magnetic movement of the poles. But this is not the first time that a significant disruption in the Earth's magnetic field has occurred. Some 41,000 years ago, a major disruption in the magnetic field sent auroras wandering towards the equator
This disturbance was known as the Laschamp excursion, in which the magnetic poles weakened and the magnetic field tilted on its axis. The tilt lessened the magnetic pull that directs the flow of high energy magnetic particles towards the two poles, and instead dispersed them outwards across the globe.
It took 1300 years for the magnetic field to strengthen, and for the tilt to correct itself. During those years the solar particles strayed near equatorial latitudes where they are typically never seen. The period of geomagnetic change caused changes in the Earth's atmosphere, thereby affecting living conditions in various parts of the world.