A groundbreaking study from the University of Southern California has revealed that Earth’s inner core is undergoing a surprising transformation, challenging everything we knew about our planet's structure. For years, scientists believed the inner core was solid, but now it appears that its outer surface is changing. With these shifts potentially altering Earth’s magnetic field, what exactly is happening deep beneath our feet? Here's what you need to know about this game-changing discovery!
Scientists Discover Earth's Inner Core Is Changing Shape
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A study published in Nature Geoscience reveals that the Earth’s inner core is slowing down and changing shape!
So, what is happening at the center of the Earth? The study, published on February 10 in Nature Geoscience, was conducted by geologists from the University of Southern California, the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Cornell University, and the University of Utah. The scientists studied the solid inner core located 5,150 kilometers deep within the Earth.
According to the research, the surface of the Earth’s inner core is not entirely fixed or solid! Instead, it is changing.
Researchers analyzed seismic waves recorded at the Eielson and Yellowknife receiver arrays, which came from 121 repeating earthquake pairs occurring from 1991 to 2023 in the South Sandwich Islands near Antarctica. By studying the inner core, previously thought to be solid, located 5,150 km (3,200 miles) below the Earth’s surface, the researchers discovered some differences. Even when the core completes a rotation around its axis and returns to the same position, its surface still shows variations.
So, why is the inner core changing?
Movements in the outer core might be responsible for altering the inner core’s surface. The flow of the molten iron and nickel in the outer core could be causing the inner core to fluctuate and change. A similar study conducted earlier found that the inner core rotated faster than the rest of the Earth until 2010, but then slowed down in the subsequent years. Now, it appears that in addition to slowing down, the inner core is also undergoing structural changes. The inner core, under a pressure of 3.64 million bars and temperatures around 6,000 degrees Celsius, may not be as solid as previously thought. Moreover, the outer layers of the inner core might be softer than once believed.
Another factor contributing to the inner core’s changes could be the denser parts of the mantle.
John Vidale, one of the study’s authors from the University of Southern California, states, “Since it's at the melting point, we expect it to be soft, so its deformation is not surprising.”
This change in the inner core raises questions about how the Earth’s magnetic field will evolve over time.
For this reason, scientists continue to gather data on the changes and movements of the already-slowing inner core.