So far, we have all read about the fact that the Earth has four layers – the crust, the mantle, the outer core, and the inner core. Incredibly, it has now been revealed that there is most likely a 5th layer. New insights into the deepest parts of the Earth’s inner core have been revealed through seismic waves generated by earthquakes , studied by a team of researchers from the Australian National University and published in the journal natural communication.
Scientists have examined how seismic waves travel through Earth’s inner core, and they believe this has provided evidence of a separate layer within it, known as the innermost core. They conducted the analysis using data from more than 200 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater that occurred over the past decade. According to the researchers, “Earth’s inner core (IC), which makes up less than 1% of Earth’s volume, is a time capsule in our planet’s history.”
A NEW class of Earth
According to a study published in the journal Nature Communications, there is a new layer in the Earth’s inner core that takes the form of a solid, metallic sphere at the center of the core. It’s not molten, it’s solid. This study highlights the importance of exploring the center of the Earth to better understand the formation and evolution of planets.
In the study, the researchers examined the anisotropy of the iron-nickel alloy that makes up Earth’s inner core. Anisotropy refers to the variation in the speed of seismic waves through the material of the inner core, depending on the direction of wave propagation. The researchers found that seismic waves continuously bounce at various angles near the center of the Earth.
By examining the variation in the travel time of seismic waves caused by different earthquakes, the team discovered that the crystal structure in the innermost region of the Earth’s inner core is different from that of the Earth’s inner core. structure of the outer layer. The researchers suggest that a key global event in Earth’s evolution may have caused a notable change in the crystal structure of the inner core.
These new findings suggest the presence of a fifth layer beneath the inner core.
