Our Planet’s Inner Core “Stopped” its Rotation and may be Reversing it!
According to a recent study, deep in the center of the Earth’s inner core may have stopped and could also reverse its Rotation. Scientists have claimed that the inner core of Earth’s oscillation overlaps with periodic changes in the Earth’s surface system and that there is an interaction between different layers of the Earth.
What is the science behind the Earth’s inner core rotation?
Earth’s Inner Core spans roughly 746 miles and consists mainly of solid iron. The outer core is primarily surrounded by water, molten iron, and nickel, which creates the Earth’s magnetic field. When the outer core moves, it creates an electrical current that causes a magnetic field. This motion of the inner core surface also makes the outer core rotate.
What did Yi Yang and Xiaodong Song say about Earth’s inner core Rotation?
However, scientists can only study the Earth’s Rotation indirectly. Researchers Yi Yang and Xiaodong Song analyze seismic waves caused by earthquakes. Xiaodong Song, a geophysicist at Peking University in Beijing, said:
“We see strong evidence that the Earth’s Inner Core has been rotating faster than the surface, [but] by around 2009, it nearly stopped,”
Moreover, he stated,
“Now it is gradually moving in the opposite direction.”
This research was published in the Nature Geoscience journal on Monday.
Based on their study of seismic waves caused by similar earthquakes dating back to the 1960s. Both researchers also stated that the inner core’s spin might be “paused” between 2009 and 2020. There is also a possibility that this core might be reversed “by a small amount.”
Is Earth’s “inner core” spinning for the first time?
This is not the first time the Earth’s inner core is moving. Before this statement, an American-born seismologist specializing in analyzing seismograms to explore features within the Earth also analyzed this inner core rotation.
What was John Vidale’s research?
John Vidale, a Dean’s Professor of Earth Sciences at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, also showed the inner core’s spin between 1969 and 1974. Vidale stated about his research: “The Earth’s Inner Core is not fixed. It’s moving under our feet, and it seems to be going back and forth a couple of kilometers every six years,”
Moreover, he stated: “One of the questions we tried to answer is, does the inner core progressively move or is it mostly locked compared to everything else in the long term? We’re trying to understand how the inner core forms and moves over time. This is an important step in better understanding this process.”
What will be the effect of inner core rotation on Earth’s surface?
Hold on! if you are worried about the Earth’s inner core spin. You don’t have to. This doesn’t mean that the Earth is going to stop spinning. Experts say that this pause and reversal effect of the inner core will play a vital role in studying Earth’s surface system. The inner core rotation plays a vital role in creating the Earth’s magnetic field, which protects life on the Earth from dangerous solar radiation. It could also affect the length of the day and the Earth’s distribution of heat.
