Line of Zero degrees variation?

[Captain Ed]

I saw an interesting TV commentary about the number of mysterious aircraft and ship accidents and dissapearances on this subject.

What is this line called? I'm quite sure it has a name, ending in "..gonic", I believe.

[pigboat]

Ed, it's called the agonic line. Wanders down from the pole, west of DTW I seem to recall, then kinda meanders SE out into the Atlantic east of FL. I think.

[Ivchenko]

Is the line of constant variation called an isogonic?

[HugMonster]

Yes, Ivchenko

[Oleo]

Actually the agonic line is a bit more interesting: it swirls around and doubles back much like a isobaric chart. Good picture here: ftp://ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov/Solid_Earth/Mainfld_Mag/igrfdec.gif

Apparently the poles of the earth have swapped position 17(?) times over the history of the earth.

[Captain Ed]

Thanks, Gents.

[A Very Civil Pilot]

So there must be somewhere in N. Canada, where the variation is 180 degrees.

[Flintstone]

Yes there is.

It's called a gay bar ;)

[MISAP]

Hey Flintstone!
Great comment! best I haveseen in a long time.
I laughed ´til my kids came up and asked what the h**ll was wrong with me
Wish I had come up with the comment!
Cheers!

[Captain Ed]

On a more serious vein: http://www.otenet.gr/sailor/bermuda.htm

[pigboat]

Actually, Civil Pilot, you're not that far off. I seem to recall the magnetic variation at Resoulte Bay (75N-95W) to be about 80 degrees W. The runways in high Arctic airports are aligned in degrees true instead of magnetic, thus the approaches are also in degrees true. It's been nearly thirty years, but I imagine it's still the same.

[Oleo]

If you think about it, the variation on a line between the true and magnetic poles must have a variation of 180 deg.

And, well if gay people want to go and drink there, then I suppose that would be OK. :)