Scientists have determined the exact size of the middle part of the Earth’s inner core. In this respect informs TASS with reference to the publication in Nature Communications.
Earth consists of three main layers – crust, basalt mantle and metallic core. Each of these elements is further divided into layers, in particular they distinguish a liquid outer core and a solid inner core. Despite the high temperature, it will remain solid due to the enormous pressure and will also rotate relative to the other layers. In 2015, scientists discovered that the inner core is also divided into several layers with different properties.
Hrvoe Tkalcic of the Australian National University and his colleagues analyzed seismic vibrations passing through the entire thickness of the Earth and for the first time obtained accurate data on the structure of the inner core. To do this, they analyzed the strongest underground vibrations recorded by seismic stations around the world since 2010 and selected those recorded simultaneously in different parts of the world. This allowed the scientists to identify about 200 sets of seismic waves that passed several times through the entire thickness of the Earth, including its core.
The analysis confirmed that the inner layer of the solid part of the Earth’s core really existed, and also showed that the size of this part of the core was greatly underestimated. According to the calculations of Professor Tkalchich and Thanhson Pham, the radius of the isolated middle part of the core is about 650 kilometers, twice the previous estimates.
In addition, the scientists identified differences in the density and structure of the central and outer layers – the latter turned out to be much more “loose” and less regular than the core of the inner core. This is probably due to the peculiarities of the cooling of the bowels of the planet in the past.
Earlier geologists announced about the discovery of the silicon “belly” at the boundary between the core and the mantle.