The Earth’s inner core is not a homogeneous mass

house › Sciences › Scientists say that the inner core of the Earth is not a homogeneous mass

The research provides new insights into the planet’s formation, evolution, and the creation of its magnetic field

Barbara Giovanni

6 hours ago

At the center of the Earth is a solid metal sphere. Although it represents only a small part of the planet’s total size, it is responsible for its magnetic field, without which the Earth would be a very different place.

Living on the rooftop, it’s hard to imagine much going on downtown. But we already talked about that here, when we reported on itThe inner core of the planet is solidWhat swinging And this is late It started spinning in the opposite direction of Earth.

However, how the Earth’s inner core formed, grew, and evolved over time remains a mystery. Now, researchers led by the University of Utah and supported by the US National Science Foundation are one step closer to answering these questions.

Study published in nature He revealed that the inner core of the Earth is not the homogeneous mass that scientists think it is. As it is already known, it is mainly composed of iron and nickel along with some other elements.

However, this is the first time that scientists have confirmed that heterogeneity exists throughout the inner core. Therefore, the researchers involved in the study compare its formation to “a tapestry made of different fabrics.” Maybe a patchwork quilt?

as a result of the formation of the Earth

The farther one travels towards the center of the Earth, the stronger this contrast becomes. “We think this is related to how fast the inner core grows. A long time ago it grew very quickly. It reached an equilibrium and then started to grow much slower. Not all iron became solid, so it was It is possible that some of the fluid is trapped inside.” Scitech.

The outer core, which encloses the inner core, remains liquid. “It’s like a planet within a planet that has its own spin and is separated by the great ocean of liquid iron,” Cooper said.

Data reuse

Observing and understanding the Earth’s core is not an easy task. Since it cannot be accessed directly, it is a difficult area to study.

Seismic waves are the best tools for revealing information about the Earth’s inner core. They sprout from the planet’s thin crust and vibrate through its rocky mantle and metallic core.

This is what scientists did in the latest research. They forwarded data collected from the International Nuclear Test Monitoring System, which was generated by a global seismic network built to detect explosions.

Now, researchers continue to try to decipher Earth’s core and magnetic field, which could help understand how Earth and other planets formed.