5.2 Answer the following questions
(e) The earth’s field departs from its dipole shape substantially at large distances (greater than about 30,000 km). What agencies may be responsible for this distortion?
The earth’s field departs from its dipole shape substantially at large distances (greater than about 30,000 km) due to the presence of ions in the ionosphere. These ions in motion generate magnetic field and hence distort the shape of a magnetic dipole.