Sound of Earth’s magnetic flip 41 000 years ago

Video: 00:01:20

Approximately 41 000 years ago, Earth’s magnetic field briefly reversed during what is known as the Laschamp event. During this time, Earth’s magnetic field weakened significantly—dropping to a minimum of 5% of its current strength—which allowed more cosmic rays to reach Earth’s atmosphere.

Scientists at the Technical University of Denmark and the German Research Centre for Geosciences used data from ESA’s Swarm mission, along with other sources, to create a sounded visualisation of the Laschamp event. They mapped the movement of Earth’s magnetic field lines during the event and created a stereo sound version which is what you can hear in the video.

The soundscape was made using recordings of natural noises like wood creaking and rocks falling, blending them into familiar and strange, almost alien-like, sounds. The process of transforming the sounds with data is similar to composing music from a score.

Data from ESA’s Swarm constellation are being used to better understand how Earth’s magnetic field is generated. The satellites measure magnetic signals not only from the core, but also from the mantle, crust, oceans and up to the ionosphere and magnetosphere. These data are crucial for studying phenomena such as geomagnetic reversals and Earth’s internal dynamics.

The sound of Earth’s magnetic field, the first version of the magnetic field sonification produced with Swarm data, was originally played through a 32-speaker system set up in a public square in Copenhagen, with each speaker representing changes in the magnetic field at different places around the world over the past 100 000 years.

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David Crisafulli faces questions about LNP’s transgender plans after party official’s email revealed

A Queensland Liberal National party official sent an election-eve email to branch members – on party letterhead – claiming that the state had been “captured by transgender ideology”. The email also promoted plans to ban puberty blockers for minors.

The state opposition has repeatedly refused to answer questions about the email, obtained by Guardian Australia, amid growing pressure for the LNP leader, David Crisafulli, to clarify the party’s intentions on abortion, voluntary assisted dying and gender issues.

On Wednesday Crisafulli would not say whether he would personally support a foreshadowed crossbench bill to restrict, or possibly re-criminalise, abortion.

Concerns were growing within the LNP that social issues were harming the party’s ambitions to make gains in progressive city electorates in the state election on 26 October.

Earlier this year the Christian right faction took control of the LNP’s Griffith FDC – a large party branch in the Greens-held South Brisbane electorate. The veteran anti-abortion activist Alan Baker was elected its chair.

Guardian Australia has obtained an email from Baker, sent on party letterhead, to members promoting a speech by Jillian Spencer, a former public hospital psychiatrist who made allegations about the state’s children’s gender service. An independent investigation found “no evidence” to support claims children were hurried or coerced into decisions, and recommended an increase in staff levels to meet demand.

“Labor governments in Queensland and other Australian states and territories have been captured by transgender ideology and are yet to catch up to the science,” Baker wrote.

He also sent – highlighted in bold – a reference to the LNP’s organisational wing policy on the issue, passed at the state convention in 2024, which calls on the next LNP government to “ban puberty blockers to minors with gender dysphoria”.

Crisafulli’s office did not respond to questions about the email, sent in September, including requests to outline his policies in relation to transgender rights.

Questions sent to the LNP on Wednesday also received no response.