The place long thought to be a “boring iron block” deep inside the Earth could be a very complex world, research from the University of Hawaii (USA), confirms. According to Live Science, geophysicist Rhett Butler from the Institute of Planetary Geophysics – University of Hawaii (USA) and colleagues reviewed the inconsistent data when reviewing how seismic waves generated by major earthquakes in 5 different locations.
These seismic waves all travel through the Earth’s core to reach the other side of the globe. However, when passing through the core region, instead of going straight as expected, they are deflected. Research just published in Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interious says that if the Earth’s inner core were a solid, integral iron ball, as traditionally thought, seismic waves would have to travel straight. Deviations occurring in certain areas indicate that something else must be at play. Models show that this core region is only semi-solid, with areas of paste and even pockets of fluid mixed in.
“We’re seeing a lot of detail in the inner core of the planet that we’ve never seen before,” Dr. Butler concluded.
According to another study published in the scientific journal Science Advances in 2019, Earth’s inner core is what helps to regulate the planet’s magnetic field, so the authors believe that the new discovery will “revolutionary”. improve” humanity’s understanding of the Earth’s magnetic field.
Previously, according to some NASA studies, many planets also have non-solid inner cores. Some planets like Mars even have only a liquid in the middle, no solid core at all.
