{"id":22722,"date":"2019-12-20T20:31:42","date_gmt":"2019-12-20T20:31:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/12\/20\/compasses-wont-work-here-a-new-map-helps-show-where\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:04:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:04:54","slug":"compasses-wont-work-here-a-new-map-helps-show-where","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/industry\/techwatch\/2019\/12\/20\/compasses-wont-work-here-a-new-map-helps-show-where\/","title":{"rendered":"Compasses won\u2019t work here. A new map helps show where."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Arctic travelers will have better information about blackout zones \u2014 small regions near the magnetic poles where compasses become unreliable \u2014 thanks to an updated 2020 World Magnetic Model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A combined effort of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the British Geological Survey, the World Magnetic Model provides the navigational data needed to correct for the difference between the Earth\u2019s geographic and magnetic poles. Military planes, ships, submarines and GPS units rely on the model for accurate navigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2020 update, released Dec. 10, includes a new feature: blackout zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve added something new that we call blackout zones, and these are areas around the north and south magnetic poles which we highlight as essentially \u2018Do not trust your compass\u2019 zones,\u201d said Mike Paniccia, the NGA\u2019s program manager for the World Magnetic Model. \u201cIf your flying an airplane over the north pole, you need to know where you can trust your compass and where you can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t