Standing exactly on the North Pole, what would be the compass direction?

The Story of the Explorer’s Compass

Imagine. You are an explorer standing exactly on the North Pole.

It’s been a long journey and it’s freezing cold.

You pull out your compass.

What direction would the needle on the compass point?

The answer may not be what you think.

In order to answer this question, you will have to understand the difference between the true geographic north and magnetic north.

Because these two north locations are completely different.

What is the Geographic (True) North Pole?

The Earth rotates on the geographic north and south poles. The geographic north and south poles are where lines of longitude (meridians) converge in the north. The south and north pole are directly opposite to one another.

The North Pole is located in the middle of the Arctic Ocean. Scientists have tried marking the North pole. Because the water here is permanently covered with moving sea ice, it’s practically impossible to construct any type of permanent station at the true North Pole.

On the other side of the Earth, the South Pole lies on a continental land mass known as Antarctica. Because the ice on top of Antarctica moves only a few meters a year, the United States Antarctica program has installed a marker here to delineate the true South Pole.