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theory is being challenged by the plasma comet theory. Ed.] 20,000 to 30,000 years the Earth's continental plates move According to Patten's theory, six million cubic miles of ice rapidly as a single unit over great distances. This was dumped on the northern and southern hemispheres phenomenon, known as continental drift, occurs today but at a each—ice with a temperature of -150°F. At the centre nodes, much slower rate. His theory stipulates that if conditions the ice would have been three miles thick and feathering out arise that create an imbalance in the Earth's gyroscopic at the edges. The ice appeared suddenly, not over a long rotation, the Earth's plates will move in such a manner as to period of time. Only this, according to the theory, accounts return the Earth to a balanced spin."* for the sudden freezing of millions of animals. Geologic evidence suggesting that the poles may have been Patten also argues that the shape of the ice sheets fits the in different positions during the Pleistocene is impressive. comet near-miss theory. The continent-sized glaciers of the Using geomagnetic and carbon dating evidence, Hapgood last glacial period were thickest at the centre. From today's identifies the locations of four previous poles and maps out climate in Antarctica, we know that very little snow falls at their transitional paths. By around 11,600 years ago, towards the centre of the continent due to the cold dry air's inability to the end of the Pleistocene, the North Pole moved to its current retain moisture. It is a desert wasteland of rock and gravel. position in the Arctic Ocean; by 50,000 years ago it was in On the edges, however, there is substantial snowfall because Hudson Bay; by 75,000 years ago it was in the Greenland of the convergence of warm, moist air Sea; and by 120,000 years ago the pole with cold air. If snow were to be the was in the Yukon Territory of Canada." primary factor in creating the ice of the How this movement can occur is easily ice age, then its accumulation would be explained by the Earth's composition. We thicker at the periphery and not at the live on the crust, the outer surface, which centre. is comprised of six main continental plates and a few smaller ones. The inner The Wandering Poles core consists of solid iron, which is One of the most intriguing human surrounded by an outer core of liquid iron. elements of the wandering pole theory of Geologic evidence Surrounding the core is the mantle, history professor Charles Hapgood is that . composed of molten rock (lower mantle) Albert Einstein believed researching the suggesting that the and solid rock (upper mantle). The upper subject was desirable and that it "would poles may have been mantle and crust are loosely connected not be justified to discard the idea a . . sys and able to slide against each other, the priori as adventurous".'' Einstein's In different positions least effect of which is continental letter to Charles Hapgood, dated November 24, 1952, is published in Hapgood's book The Path of the Pole: "I frequently receive communications from people who wish to consult me concerning their unpublished ideas. It goes without saying that these ideas are very seldom possessed of scientific validity. The very first communication, however, that I drift. Theoretically, each layer is capable of movement independent of other layers. According to Hapgood, the top two layers can slide, if certain forces are applied, while the core, axis and orbit of the planet remain unchanged. The difficult part is: what force causes the slippage? In Hapgood's opinion, the centrifugal momentum of icecaps, eccentric to the poles, provides this force. The weight of the ice on the received from Mr. Hapgood poles creates an imbalance in the electrified me. His idea is original, Earth's rotation. Eventually this of great simplicity, and—if it continues to prove itself—of builds to a point where a change is required to correct the great importance to everything that is related to the history of imbalance. Hapgood realised that the entire planet did not the earth's surface." * need to be repositioned around its axis to maintain its balance. Hapgood began his research into the wandering poles as a Only the outer crust needed to move, just as the loose skin of during the Pleistocene is impressive. result of his interest in geography and ancient maps, which a peeled orange can slide around the inner fruit. He led to his re-discovery of the Piri Reis map, a hand-drawn envisioned a catastrophic and dramatic move of the entire Turkish naval map that had been gathering dust since the 16th crust that allowed the polar ice caps to melt in a new, warmer century. According to its sources, the map was drawn a few climate. Ice would then begin to build at the new poles, years after Columbus launched his first voyage to the awaiting the next shift. The crust's rapid movement, of Americas. Admiral Piri Reis, the map's cartographer, noted course, would create environmental mayhem. If the current that his world map was derived from very old reference maps. level of seismic and volcanic activity were a result of plates Upon close inspection, Hapgood noticed evidence of spherical shifting between one and four centimetres per year, a much trigonometry in the map's layout and a detailed knowledge of faster rate of change would likely be apocalyptic. global geography that included the coastline of Antarctica at Whatever way the poles shifted, regional climates some remote time when it was free of ice. The map was everywhere would change dramatically. The displaced polar accurate at a time when no one should have known the coastal ice would melt, causing incredible floods. The new polar areas of Antarctica. This prompted Hapgood to search for an areas would freeze in a relatively short amount of time, explanation that eventually led to his controversial theory. almost instantly killing life that was accustomed to a warmer According to Hapgood's theory of wandering poles, every climate. Areas of climatic convergence would shift; deserts centre. Geologic evidence suggesting that the poles may have been in different positions during the Pleistocene is impressive. JUNE — JULY 2007 NEXUS = 45 www.nexusmagazine.com