Geomagnetic Pole Wander 3D Explorer vs Earth's Magnetosphere 3D Explorer
freetoolonline.com editorial teamBoth pages render real geomagnetic science in one page load - 0 MB installed, USD 0, no account. The Geomagnetic Pole Wander 3D Explorer covers WHERE the magnetic north pole has actually been since 1831; Earth's Magnetosphere 3D Explorer covers the field's present-day SHAPE around the whole planet.
The numbers side by side
| Aspect | Pole Wander Explorer | Magnetosphere Explorer |
|---|---|---|
| Install size | 0 MB - runs in the browser | 0 MB - runs in the browser |
| Price | USD 0 | USD 0 |
| What it tracks | The pole's own position, 1831 to 2025 | The field's dipole shape at one moment |
| Key published figures | 10 real positions; ~2,250 km since 1831; 36 vs 9 km/year (2025) | ~11 degree dipole tilt; 6-10 Re magnetopause; ~25-65 uT surface field |
| Time dimension | Scrub or play nearly 200 years of real history | Adjust tilt and magnetopause standoff for one snapshot |
| Interaction | Scrub year, click a waypoint, play history | Adjust tilt slider, toggle Quiet/Compressed, toggle solar wind |
Where the Magnetosphere Explorer wins
The Magnetosphere Explorer wins when the question is what the field looks like right now - its dipole tilt, its sunward magnetopause boundary under quiet versus compressed solar-wind conditions, and the surface field strength - a spatial snapshot rather than a history.
Where the Pole Wander Explorer wins
The Pole Wander Explorer wins when the question is how far the pole has actually moved and how fast - it is the only page on the site visualizing the pole's real recorded and modelled positions from James Clark Ross's 1831 discovery to NOAA's 2025 measurement that it is now drifting about four times faster than the south magnetic pole.
A reasonable rule
As a reasonable rule, use the Magnetosphere Explorer first to see the field's present-day shape and scale, then use the Pole Wander Explorer to see how the single point where that field points straight down has crawled across the Arctic over nearly two centuries.
See how to use the Geomagnetic Pole Wander 3D Explorer for a step-by-step walkthrough.
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