That Helpful Magnetic Field of Earth

The magnetosphere of the earth is, in a way, a simple but profound testimony to the Master Engineer. As science progresses, we are learning more about the various ways it is essential for survival. There are also some surprises about it that have come to light.

It is huge. But then, so is the Earth, so it would have to be. Space is a dangerous place, full of cosmic radiation from the solar wind (plasma and charged particles from the sun) as well as galactic radiation from parts of our own galaxy. Without our force shield, life could not exist.

Earth's magnetosphere, NASA / Goddard / Aaron Kaase (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents)

In addition, the magnetic field is decaying at a known rate. Calculating backward, it should have been gone long ago and Earth would be subjected to all those destructive forces. Believers in deep time know this and try to find rescuing devices, but they can provide no plausible evidence for their speculations. The magnetic field also shows that Earth is a special place chosen by our Creator.

The existence of life strongly depends on the precise, non-coincidental arrangement of many natural phenomena. Some of these life-sustaining characteristics of Earth are invisible to the human eye. For example, the composition of the gases in our atmosphere, which allows creatures to breathe, and plants to manufacture foodstuffs literally ‘out of thin air’. Or the ozone layer that protects life from deadly ultraviolet light.

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A magnetosphere is the region that surrounds an astronomical object (like a planet, or a star) in which charged particles are affected by that object’s magnetic field. Several planets in our solar system have magnetospheres, but Earth has the most pronounced and robust one of all the rocky planets.

To read the rest, allow yourself to be attracted to "The magnetosphere — an invisible force that makes life on Earth possible." Be sure to come back for some rather surprising information on another benefit of the magnetic field.

While the magnetic field is protecting our planet, the Creator also set it up to be used by various life forms for navigation. Dogs have traveled amazing distances, birds migrate, even bacteria seem to respond to the magnetic field. This further shows God's provision for the living things he created.

Some dogs have travelled remarkable distances, even through obstacles such as a fast-flowing river. After posting flyers and contacting animal shelters, the dog’s family is overjoyed when Fido shows up on their doorstep.

Some researchers suggest that lost dogs, with their sensitive noses (estimated to be thousands of times more sensitive than human noses), can use familiar scents to find their way home. Apparently, they can sense scents from farther than 15 kilometers away.

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A search on ScienceDaily.com using the words ‘magnetic’ and ‘navigate’ produced dozens of summary reports. These studies document animals’ use of the earth’s magnetic field to align their migrations or other activities. Among the animals and insects which are reported to use the magnetic field are birds (see also, Jonathan Sarfati’s article in CMI’s Creation), sea turtles, bats, ants, salmon, and sharks.

You can read it all at "Magnetic navigation."