The history of the Earth has more than 4.5 billion years and during this time our planet has undergone an incredible number of changes, both internal and superficial. Scientists for centuries have been trying to unravel the secrets of the Earth, but some riddles remain unsolved - for example, we know a little about the internal nucleus of the Earth, writes iflscience.
In recent decades, scientists have been exploring and modeling our planet every now and then, however, the internal core of the Earth is still surrounded by a nearby puzzle. This is not so amazing, given that we are talking about an area hidden at a depth of more than 5,100 kilometers under our feet. For comparison, the deepest hole that people have ever been drilled has reached a depth of only 12,263 meters.
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Fortunately, we can learn more about what is happening with the heart of the planet, observing the seismic waves passing through the Earth, as well as the lines of the magnetic field of the planet, which are the result of the conditions in the nucleus. Now in a new study, scientists have discovered evidence that the internal nucleus of the Earth probably changed the form. It looks even more curious that these changes have occurred over the past two decades - from the point of view of geological proportions - incredibly quickly.
Back in 2022, scientists used data collected during nuclear tests in the 1960s and 70s. The results of their work showed that the internal core changed the direction relative to the surface, rotating the tenth of the degree at least once a year. Scientists came to the conclusion that the earth's core, apparently, does not remain stable, but fluctuates.
According to the leading author of the 2022 study, the professor of the Earth Sciences John E. Vidile, he and his colleagues found that the inner core was not fixed, but moves under our feet - scientists suggest that the core is shifting for a couple of kilometers every six years. However, scientists tried to understand whether the inner core is moving gradually or it was mainly blocked in comparison with everything else in the long run. The authors of the study focused on understanding how the inner core was formed and how it moves over time.
Subsequent studies have shown additional evidence that the rotation of the kernel slows down in comparison with the rest of the Earth since about 2010. In a new study, Vidyl and the team focused on studying a change in seismic waves, when the core of the Earth rotated at different speeds.
The results of the study confirmed that the inner core rotated faster, and then slower than the rest of the planet over the past few decades. In their work, scientists analyzed seismic waves crossing the internal core - they were registered by the Eilson masses (ILAR) and Yellowfish (YKA) in north of North America from 121 repeating steams of earthquakes between 1991 and 2023 in the Southern Sandwich Islands.
In their work, scientists have expanded the set of repeated earthquakes and compare couples in moments when the internal nucleus repeatedly occupied the same position, identifying neurcarty changes in YKA, but not in ILAR between 2004 and 2008.
The team examined 168 repeating steam of earthquakes before and after the core returned to its original position. Scientists were able to analyze whether the changes in seismic waves were caused by the speed of rotation or other factors. According to the team, part of the changes in seismic waves was caused by changes in the shape of the nucleus due to the tension of the external nucleus and the border of the nuclear-mandate topography-at least the team considers this the most likely explanation.
However, the team did not exclude other more “exotic” changes, such as pushing the melt, and further research is needed.
The authors of the study found that the change in the form is present in addition to the more dominant signal of the differential rotation of the entire IC. Scientists believe that they managed to find a solution of a long -standing dispute - there are both rotational and non -neural changes, and the latter deserve a thorough study to see what is moved in the nucleus.
Previously, Focus wrote that scientists called what makes the hard heart of the earth soft, like butter.