Earth's geographic poles are not fixed. A phenomenon called true polar wander causes the entire outer shell of the planet to shift relative to its rotation axis, moving the geographic poles across the surface. This is separate from the well-known drift of magnetic poles, which is driven by changes in the planet's core.
According to a recent report in New Scientist, true polar wander may be more common and more dramatic than previously recognised. The article suggests that past events of this kind could have been larger or more frequent than current models assume, though the exact scale and timing remain uncertain.
The new findings highlight that the planet's geographic poles are more mobile than previously thought. Because true polar wander involves the whole Earth, it has the potential to affect how scientists view the planet's past, although the report does not specify particular consequences.