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Scientists have detected changes in Earth's core that could slightly affect the planet's rotations. But what does this mean for the future?
A new discovery could change the way we understand the Earth's core. Researchers at University of Southern California (USC) found evidence that the surface of the inner core of the planet is changing over time.
The study, led by Professor John Vidale, analyzed the rotation of the inner core when he came across unexpected seismic data.
The inner core may not be completely solid
It was believed that the Earth's inner core, located about 5 thousand kilometers deep, it was a solid sphere surrounded by a liquid outer core. However, the new findings suggest that its surface may be undergoing structural changes over time.
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"As I analyzed seismograms spanning decades, one set of seismic wave data curiously stood out from the rest.”, explained Vidale. “Later I realized I was looking at evidence that the inner core is not entirely solid."
This raises an important question: how does this structural change affect the rotation of the nucleus and, consequently, the nucleus itself? Terra?
Earth's Core
The team analyzed records of recurring earthquakes between 1991 e 2024, especially those near Antarctica. The data were collected from seismic stations in Fairbanks, Alaska, and Yellowknife, at Canada.
Then something peculiar happened: a set of seismic waves recorded at the Canadian station was unlike anything that had ever been transmitted. An anomaly indicated that the surface of the inner core was not fixed, but rather changing.
For decades, scientists have studied how the inner core rotates relative to the rest of the planet. Physical changes in its structure have received less attention.
Now, new evidence suggests that the core's topography can vary this rotation and even impact the length of Earth's days.
Earth's outer core may be responsible
The study suggests that turbulence in the outer core — the layer of molten iron and nickel that surrounds Earth's inner core — could be the cause of these structural changes.
"The molten outer core is widely known to be turbulent“, said Vidale. “But its turbulence has not been observed disturbing the inner core on a human timescale. What we are seeing here may be the first evidence of that."
This interaction between the two cores can cause deformations on the surface of the inner core, changing its shape over time. This may also be related to the slowing down of the rotation of the inner core, a manifestation in recent years.
Longer days in the future?
Changes in the rotation of the inner core are subtle, but they can have a direct effect on the length of days on Earth. Small variations have been recorded over the years, and this new discovery could help us better understand why these changes occur.
There are still many unanswered questions. But this research opens a new path for the study of the internal structure of planet Earth and its effects on the surface.
With information interestingengineering. Study available at Nature.
