On the position of the north magnetic pole

• Published in: Abstracts of the Papers Printed in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Royal Society 1837
• Subjects: Arctic; North Magnetic Pole
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspl.1830.0139; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspl.1830.0139

The author remarks that the discordances in former observations made with a view to determine the position of the magnetic pole, have arisen partly from the irregularity of distribution in the earth of the substances which exert magnetic power, and partly from the great distances from the magnetic poles at which these observations have been made. The latter cause of uncertainty has been now, in a great measure, removed, by the numerous and accurate observations made during the late arctic expeditions. The object of the present paper is to put on record those which were made in the last voyage of Captain Ross, in which a spot was reached corresponding to the true north magnetic pole on the surface of the earth. The nature of the instruments, and the difficulties encountered in their practical employment, under the circumstances of the expedition, are fully stated. Having arrived, on the 1st of June, at north latitude 70° 5' 17", and west longitude 96° 45' 48", the horizontal magnetic needle exhibited no determinate directive tendency, and the dipping needle was within a minute of the vertical position, a quantity which may be supposed to come within the limits of the errors of observation; hence the author concludes that this spot may be considered as the true magnetic pole, or as a very near approximation to it, as far, at least, as could be ascertained with the limited means of determination of which he was then in possession. A table of the observations, including those on the intensity of the magnetic force at various stations, is subjoined.