Page 11 - The Miracle of Migration in Animals

aussmeter, Earth’s magnetic field, airfoil
shape, and wing tip vortex may be mean-
ingless terms for many people. They may
not know that the Earth consists of a solid
G inner and a liquid outer core, which
move around each other, creating the
magnetic field that makes a compass
needle point north. Probably no one except aviation engineers
or those with a keen interest in the subject would know that
fans—and the wings and propellers of aircraft—have an air-
foil shape; and that the flow of air around them creates a lift
that planes utilize during take-off and flight.
Engineers and experts use such know-how to design
new planes, examine the effects of magnetic fields and de-
velop techniques to safeguard against mishaps.
However, it is not only people with special training who
make use of this knowledge.
Albatrosses fly on month-long journeys of 15,000 kilo-
meters (9,300 miles) without once coming down to land.
Swallows fly around the world during their migrations.
Swarming locusts can cover a distance of 3,000 kilometers
(1,800 miles). Newly hatched eels begin a journey of 6,000
kilometers (3,700 miles).
Whales and many other living creatures act on the basis
of this technical knowledge. Throughout their lives, these