Scientists and researchers have been forced to update and redefine the location of the magnetic North Pole because it has been moving quickly away from the Canadian Arctic toward Siberia.
This unprecedented early update to the World Magnetic Model (WMM) helps all navigation in the Arctic (ships, planes and submarines) because it acts as the basis for navigation, communication, GPS etc. around the globe.
The last release of an updated version was in 2015 and typically the WMM model is updated every five years. Due to unplanned variations in the Arctic region the model had to be updated earlier.
The angle between magnetic North and true North changes over time at a given location and it is well known that the earth's magnetic field has been slowly changing throughout its existence. According to National Centers for Environmental Information (NOAA) a recent survey by a Canadian–French international collaboration determined that the Pole is moving approximately north-northwest at 55 km per year.
Text with Photo: This map shows the location of the north magnetic pole (white star) and the magnetic declination (contour interval 2 degrees) at the beginning of 2019. Courtesy of NOAA NCEI/CIRES.
Source: NOAA