How will a compass behave at the North Pole?

A magnetic compass needle tries to align itself with the magnetic field lines. However, at (and near) the magnetic poles, the fields of force are vertically converging on the region (the inclination (I) is near 90 degrees and the horizontal intensity (H) is weak). read more

At the geographic North Pole a magnetic compass willpoint south, into the Canadian Arctic, at a spot in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, known as the North Magnetic Pole. In 1971 I was a deck officer aboard the CCGS JOHN A MACDONALD, and we were almost directly over the North Magnetic Pole. read more

We want to know what will happen if you bring a compass to the South Pole. We think the needle will rotate 360 degrees multiple times because when you are at the South Pole you can go any direction and still be going north. read more

The North Magnetic Pole is the wandering point on the surface of Earth's Northern Hemisphere at which the planet's magnetic field points vertically downwards (in other words, if a magnetic compass needle is allowed to rotate about a horizontal axis, it will point straight down). read more