THERE’S SOMETHING WEIRD GOING ON AT THE EXACT CENTER OF OUR PLANET.

A recent study published in the journal Nature Communications reveals that a pair of seismologists from the Australian National University have made a groundbreaking discovery. They have detected a previously unknown layer, located within the inner core of the Earth. This newly discovered region is a solid metallic sphere, approximately 400 miles in diameter. What’s particularly intriguing is that the metal sphere appears to respond to earthquake shockwaves in an unusual manner. The researchers believe that this innermost inner core may have been created by a significant event in Earth’s history.

“Clearly, the innermost inner core has something different from the outer layer,” lead author Thanh-Son Pham, a seismologist at the Australian National University, told The Washington Post. “We think that the way the atoms are [packed] in these two regions are slightly different.”

Making a Home

This study has the potential to provide valuable insights into the evolution of our planet, spanning billions of years. By examining the newly discovered innermost inner core and its response to seismic activity, researchers may gain a better understanding of how the Earth’s magnetic field has transformed over time. These findings could help elucidate the process by which our planet evolved from a hostile environment into the habitable world we know today.

“Studying Earth’s center is not just a topic of academic curiosity, but something that sheds light on the very evolution of life on our planet’s surface,” the pair of researchers write in a piece for The Conversation.

The reason this discovery is so significant is that it can help us better understand how the Earth’s magnetic field is generated. Essentially, the movement of convection currents beneath the Earth’s surface generates the geomagnetic field, which is essential in shielding the planet from harmful cosmic radiation. While the innermost inner core is composed of the same materials as the rest of the inner core, it possesses distinct characteristics that influence the speed at which seismic waves travel through it, depending on their direction of travel. This phenomenon is referred to as “anisotropy.” Previous research has shown that seismic waves travel fastest when moving parallel to the Earth’s spin. However, this new study has revealed that this is not the case for the innermost inner core. The researchers discovered that seismic waves actually travel faster at a different angle, which is quite puzzling.

According to the researchers, it is possible that a large-scale global event, such as a massive tectonic shift that took place millions of years ago, was responsible for the creation of this metallic sphere. This discovery is particularly important, given that this innermost inner core likely played a key role in enabling life to flourish on our planet. As such, it provides a vital piece of the puzzle when it comes to understanding the ancient history of Earth, and it is a truly fascinating glimpse into our planet’s past.

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