Shift of Earth's magnetic north pole affects Tampa airport
Magnetic changes in the core of the planet shift the Earth’s magnetic pole at nearly 40 miles a year toward Russia; as a result, Tampa, Florida, International Airport has closed its primary runway so it could be redesignated 19R/1L on aviation charts; it has been 18R/36L, indicating its alignment along the 180-degree approach from the north and the 360-degree approach from the south; the FAA required the runway designation change to account for the shift in the Earth’s magnetic pole
Tampa International, home of the "moving" runway // Source: greenwichmeantime.com
Scientists say the magnetic north pole is moving toward Russia and the fallout has reached — of all places — Tampa International Airport.
The airport has closed its primary runway until 13 January to repaint the numeric designators at each end and change taxiway signage to account for the shift in location of the Earth’s magnetic north pole.
Tampa Bay Online reports that the closure of the west parallel runway will result in more activity on the east parallel runway and more noise for residential areas of South Tampa. The busiest runway will be re-designated 19R/1L on aviation charts. It has been 18R/36L, indicating its alignment along the 180-degree approach from the north and the 360-degree approach from the south.
Later this month, the airport’s east parallel runway and the seldom used east-west runway will be closed to change signage to their new designations.
The Federal Aviation Administration required the runway designation change to account for what a National Geographic News report described as a gradual shift of the Earth’s magnetic pole at nearly 40 miles a year toward Russia because of magnetic changes in the core of the planet
Primer: the numbers at the beginning and end of airport runways represent the runway heading’s magnetic azimuth, so a designation of 18 denotes “180 degrees” from north (in this case, due south). The shift to 19 means the runway is now leaning ever-so-slightly west (since runways are often used in both directions, the R and L stand for left and right, and the second number represents the heading in the opposite direction, hence the difference of 18, or 180 degrees).
