Question map
At which place Earth’s magnetic field becomes horizontal ?
Explanation
The Earth's magnetic field is characterized by its inclination or 'dip angle,' which is the angle between the magnetic field vector and the horizontal plane. At the magnetic poles, the field lines are directed vertically, meaning the horizontal component is zero. Conversely, as one moves from the poles toward the equator, the magnetic field lines become increasingly parallel to the Earth's surface. At the magnetic equator, the vertical component of the magnetic field becomes zero, and the total magnetic field vector is entirely horizontal. This means the angle of dip is 0° at the magnetic equator. While the magnetic meridian is the plane containing the magnetic field vector, the field is only strictly horizontal along the specific line of the magnetic equator. The geographical poles and the Tropic of Cancer do not define points of horizontal magnetic alignment.