Apparent polar wander

<p>Apparent polar wander (APW) is the perceived movement of the <a href="/facts/Earth/HLLmDfj0">Earth</a>'s <a href="/facts/Paleomagnetic_pole/k3lv5XaP">paleomagnetic poles</a> relative to a <a href="/facts/Continent/Pysd9Sw8">continent</a> while regarding the continent being studied as fixed in position. It is frequently displayed on the present latitude-longitude map as a path connecting the locations of <a href="/facts/Geomagnetic_pole/Vc0Pc5RK">geomagnetic poles</a>, inferred at distinct times using paleomagnetic techniques.
</p><p>In reality, the relative polar movement can be either real <a href="/facts/Polar_wander/FjgbAtsw">polar wander</a> or <a href="/facts/Continental_drift/o7Nfr101">continental drift</a> (or a combination of both).  Data from around the globe are needed in order to isolate or distinguish between the two. Nevertheless, the magnetic poles rarely stray far from the geographic poles of the planet; rather they tend to follow <a href="/facts/True_polar_wander/D6rcdgGz">true polar wander</a>. Therefore, the concept of apparent polar wander is useful in <a href="/facts/Plate_tectonics/RtRG5lY4">plate tectonics</a>, since it can retrace the relative motion of continents, as well as the formation and break-up of supercontinents.
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Apparent polar wander