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ScienceSurprise 4/5Difficulty 3/5Reviewed on February 8, 2026

Earth's magnetic poles have reversed hundreds of times over the last billion years.

Why it is true

These reversals are caused by changes in the flow of molten iron in the Earth's outer core. The last major reversal, the Brunhes-Matuyama, occurred about 780,000 years ago.

Source: Geophysics

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