Earth’s core is younger than previously believed, new research finds

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Researchers at the University of Texas were able to estimate the age of the nucleus by recreating similar conditions at the center of the Earth inside a laboratory chamber.

It took two years for the researchers to get proper results, and they were able to recreate these conditions by pressing laser-heated iron samples – the Earth’s core is mostly made of iron – between two diamond anvils.

The researchers estimate that the Earth’s core is between 1 and 1.3 billion years old, which is on the lower end of the spectrum of what was previously believed, the researchers said. The Earth’s core was previously estimated to be 1.3 to 4.5 billion years old, with a recent estimate placing it even lower at 565 million years, the researchers say.

The experiments also give researchers a clearer picture of how the nucleus conducts heat and of the energy sources that power the geodynamics of the Earth.

The geodynamics of the planet is the mechanism that supports Earth’s magnetic field, which shields the planet from harmful cosmic rays and helps compasses point north, the researchers say.

“People are really curious and excited to know the origin of geodynamo, the strength of the magnetic field, because they all contribute to the habitability of a planet,” said lead researcher Jung-Fu Lin, professor at the ‘University of Texas at Austin. Jackson School of Geosciences.

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With the Earth’s core being mostly iron – the inner core is solid and the outer core is liquid – researchers believe that iron’s efficiency at transferring heat through thermal conductivity is one of the key factors in determining a number of attributes about the nucleus, including when the inner nucleus may have formed.

By recreating the conditions of the core, where the pressure is greater than 1 million atmospheres and the temperature can approach those found on the surface of the sun, it allowed researchers to measure the conductivity of iron.

“Once you actually know how much of this heat flows from the outer core to the lower mantle, you can actually think about when the Earth has cooled enough that the inner core starts to crystallize,” said Linen.

Using this information about conductivity and heat transfer over time, it allowed researchers to make what they believe to be a more accurate estimate of the age of the inner core. It also suggests that the formation of the inner core played a central role in creating the Earth’s magnetic fields.

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