Recent research challenges the conventional understanding of Earth’s solid inner core, revealing that it may not be entirely solid throughout. Instead, it appears to be a complex mixture of solid and liquid components extending all the way to the center.

The study draws upon the analysis of faint seismic echoes generated by earthquake waves that bounce back to the Earth’s surface from the depths of the planet, Yahoo News reported.

These findings indicate that the inner core exhibits greater diversity than previously believed. As the liquid outer core solidifies, the inner core gradually expands by about a millimeter (0.04 inch) each year.

The research suggests that the inner core may have experienced faster growth during earlier periods in Earth’s history.

Moreover, it is possible that pockets of liquid iron are trapped within the solid core, according to Keith Koper, the senior author of the study and a seismologist at the University of Utah.

“In the past, the inner core experienced rapid growth, followed by a slower phase. Not all of the iron fully solidified, potentially resulting in the entrapment of liquid iron,” explained Koper.

This suggests a dynamic evolution of the inner core over time, challenging the previous assumption of a uniformly solid inner core.

Written by staff