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Contrary to the fact that the Earth's core is solid, researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) have found that it is comparatively softer.
In a groundbreaking discovery, Associate Professor Hrvoje Tkalcic and Ph.D. student Thanh-Son Pham are convinced that the heart of the Earth is solid.
However, Tkalcic said: "We found that the inner core is indeed solid, but we also found that it is softer than we had previously thought."
Facts about the inner core of the Earth:
Ray: 1,220 kilometers (760 miles), or 70 percent of the Moon's radius
Composed of: Nickel-iron alloy
Temperature: 5 700 K (5 430 ° C) or 9806 ° F, almost the temperature of the sun
What is the inner core made of?
The inner core is composed of two outer and inner layers.
The outer core is 1,355 miles (2,180 kilometers) thick.
Image of representation
Why is the inner core radius unknown?
There is no estimated radius of the inner core; However, it plays a distinct role in the creation of the Earth's magnetic field.
The inner core is measured by shear waves, a seismology term so tiny and weak that it can not be observed directly.
In fact, their detection was considered the & # 39; Holy Grail & # 39; Scientists predicted for the first time that the inner core was solid in the thirties and forties.
Goal of the inner core of the Earth:
According to space.com, when solar wind charged particles collide with air molecules above the magnetic poles of the Earth, the air molecules shine, causing the aurora borealis – northern and southern lights.
How was it discovered?
They found a way to detect shear waves, or "J waves" in the inner core – a type of wave that can only travel through solid objects.
"It turns out that if our results are correct, the inner core shares similar elastic properties with gold and platinum.The inner core looks like a time capsule.If we understand it, we will understand how the planet is formed, and how it evolves, "he added.
According to research published by the university, the wave field method examines the similarities between the signals of two receivers after a major earthquake, rather than the direct wave arrivals.
The same team used a similar technique to measure the thickness of ice in Antarctica.
"We are throwing the first three hours of the seismogram and we expect a major earthquake between three and ten o'clock.We want to get rid of the big signals," said Dr. Tkalcic.
"By using a global network of stations, we take each pair of receivers and each major earthquake – that is, many combinations – and we measure the similarity between the seismograms. 39, we call cross-correlation, or measure of similarity, build a global correlogram – a kind of fingerprint of the earth.
The study shows that these results can then be used to demonstrate the existence of J waves and infer the speed of the shear wave in the inner core.
What is the meaning of this method?
Dr. Tkalcic says that the inner core of the Earth is even more exciting.
"For example, we do not yet know what is the exact temperature of the inner nucleus, what is its age, or how fast it solidifies, but with these new advances in global seismology, we are slowly getting there," he added.
He also explained that "the understanding of the inner core of the Earth has direct consequences on the generation and maintenance of the geomagnetic field, without this field there would be no life on the surface of the Earth".
Also read: Thousands of asteroids furrowing the Earth come from ancient dead planets
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