How Does The Earth's Magnetic Field Protect Us From The Effects Of Solar Wind?

The Earth acts as a huge magnet with one pole at the North Pole and the other at the South Pole. Currently, our compass needles point to North, but the Earth's magnetic field switches over from time to time. This takes thousands of years but scientists predict it will switch again in about 2500 years.

The magnetic field does not draw particles into the Earth, as you might expect. Instead, it repels them. The magnetic field that exists around the planet acts as a safety shield, which repels particles that stream towards the Earth in the 'Solar wind'.

If the magnetic field of the Earth does decrease in the next 2000 years before it switches (our compass needles with then point South), the lowered field will mean that more particles from the solar wind will hit the Earth. When this has happened in the past it has caused great damage and mass extinctions.