Scientists from the Australian National University (ANU) have found evidence of a new layer of Earth lying inside inner core planets.
As seismologists explain in an article published in Connection with naturethis discovery opens up new theories about the formation of our planet and could point to a “major event” in Earth’s past.
what is known
Thanh-Song Pham, lead author of the study, says: Washington Post that there is data on a ball consisting of an alloy of iron and nickel, 650 kilometers thick in the center inner core belonging Earth.
He inner corediscovered in 1936 by the Danish seismologist Inge Lehmann, makes up less than 1% of the volume Earth. However, its distance from the surface and its small size make it difficult for scientists to measure it directly, so instead they study shock waves caused by earthquakes.
Twenty years ago, researchers used data from seismographs and suggested the existence of a fifth layer. Since then, Pham said, the evidence inner core “more internal” was “strengthened over time by more and more data”. But their new study goes further, analyzing data from unprecedented seismographs.
In the new study, the team studied several earthquakes that crossed the diameter Earth, sometimes up to five times, which researchers have not recorded “in the history of seismology,” Pham said, noting that previous studies have recorded only one bounce. They found that seismic waves travel through the new layer at different speeds than through the surrounding core, depending on the direction of the wave.
New theories about the magnetic field
Researchers study inner core to better understand a magnetic field belonging Earthwhich protects us from harmful radiation in space and helps make life possible on our planet.
Geophysicists suggest that inner core it may have formed less than a billion years ago, which is relatively young on the geologic time scale. The authors of the study explain that inner core it grows outward by solidifying materials in the liquid outer core, releasing heat and creating convection currents. This convection, they say, creates a magnetic field belonging Earth.
The author notes that, having learned more about inner core “In turn, this could help us learn more about how other planets may or may not be habitable.”
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Source: RPP
I am Ben Stock, a passionate and experienced digital journalist working in the news industry. At the Buna Times, I write articles covering technology developments and related topics. I strive to provide reliable information that my readers can trust. My research skills are top-notch, as well as my ability to craft engaging stories on timely topics with clarity and accuracy.