According to research and studies on the solid and hot iron ball-shaped core of the Earth, it has stopped its rotation and started spinning in the opposite direction recently and experts have some interesting opinions about it.
Although it may seem like the plot of a terrifying apocalyptic disaster movie, let’s not panic and find out the details about it and what the experts have to say.
Reports suggest that Earth’s core, which lies approximately 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) below the surface, is a “planet within a planet” and that it can spin independently while floating in the liquid metal outer core. .
There is only little information on exactly how the inner core and its rotation mechanism works.
Studies show that the inner core comes from measuring small differences in seismic waves created by earthquakes or nuclear explosions as they pass through the central part of the planet.
Aiming to track the movements of the inner core, new research published in the journal Nature Geoscience analyzed seismic waves from repeated earthquakes over the past six decades.
Earth’s inner core stopped and could be spinning in the opposite direction https://t.co/FUhAvk6iM0 pic.twitter.com/QGq1Pzu9nZ
—Rex (@LeakProject)
January 24, 2023
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Differences between rotation and revolution
What do the experts say?
The authors of the study, Xiaodong Song and Yi Yang of China’s Peking University, stated that they found in their study that the rotation of the inner core also stopped almost earlier, in 2009, and then rotated in the opposite direction.
They also added
“We believe that the inner core rotates, relative to the Earth’s surface, back and forth, like a roll. A roll cycle lasts about seven decades.”
This means that the planet changes direction approximately every 35 years and previously changed direction in the early 1970s.
They predicted the next sea change would be in the mid-2040s.
The researchers said this rotation roughly aligns with changes in what is called the “length of day”: small variations in the exact time it takes for the Earth to rotate on its axis.
There is little indication so far that what the inner core does has much effect on surface dwellers, but researchers said they believe there are physical links between all of Earth’s layers, from the inner core to the surface. “We hope that our study can motivate some researchers to build and test models that treat the entire Earth as an integrated dynamical system,” they said.
Suggestions from uninvolved experts
Experts not involved in the study expressed caution, cautioning about the surprising results and pointing to some different theories.
John Vidale, a seismologist at the University of Southern California, expressed his concern saying:
“This is a very careful study by excellent scientists who provide a lot of data, but in my opinion, none of the models explain all the data very well.”
Their research, published last year, suggested that the inner core oscillates much more rapidly, changing direction about every six years.
Vidale’s work was based on seismic waves from two nuclear explosions in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Vidal says it’s something of a coincidence that the time period is around the time Monday’s research says the inner core last changed direction.
Vidale’s second theory suggests that there is good evidence to support that the inner core only moved significantly between 2001 and 2013. It has remained still since then, Vidal said.
Hrvoje Tkalcic, a geophysicist at the Australian National University, published his research suggesting that the inner core cycle is every 20 to 30 years, rather than the 70 proposed in the latest study.
“All of these mathematical models are most likely incorrect because they explain the observed data but are not required by the data, therefore the geophysical community will be divided over this finding and the issue will remain controversial.
He compared seismologists to doctors “who study patients’ internal organs using imperfect or limited equipment.”
In the absence of something like a CT scan, “our picture of the Earth’s interior is still blurry,” he said, predicting more surprises in the future.
According to him, the inner core could have another iron ball inside similar to a Russian doll.
vidale said,
“Something is happening and I think we’re going to figure it out, but it may take a decade.”
Should we be worried?
There is no need to worry as while the core’s rotation influences the Earth’s surface environment, scientists suggest that this periodic spin change is normal. According to studies, its behavior does not pose risks to life on Earth.
What we know so far about the Earth’s inner core
- The inner core of our planet is a solid metal ball.
- The core is 75 percent the size of the Moon.
- The core can rotate at different rates and directions compared to our planet, since it is located within a liquid outer core.
- Although scientists are not very precise about exactly how fast it spins or if its speed varies over time.
- The inner core is located about 5,000 kilometers below the Earth’s surface and experiences intense heat that is at the same level as the surface of the Sun.
- The inner core generates Earth’s protective magnetic field, which prevents harmful radiation from reaching the surface.
Because the inner core is so remote and difficult to study, it remains one of the least understood environments on our planet.
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Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: ptivs2.edu.vn