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Is the Earth's core losing speed?

The researchers collected and analyzed seismic data recorded around the South Sandwich Islands from 121 repeated earthquakes that occurred between 1991 and 2023. They also used data from two Soviet nuclear tests between 1971 and 1974, as well as repeated French and US nuclear tests from other studies of the inner core.

The Earth's core began to slow down around 2010, moving more slowly than the Earth's surface. Credit: USC
The Earth's core began to slow down around 2010, moving more slowly than the Earth's surface. Credit: USC

A new study provides clear evidence that the Earth's core began to slow down around the year 2010.

University of Southern California (USC) scientists have discovered that Earth's core is slowing down relative to the planet's surface, a phenomenon that began around 2010 after decades of the opposite trend. This significant change was discovered through detailed analysis of seismography data from earthquakes and nuclear tests. The deceleration is affected by the dynamics of the liquid outer core that surrounds the inner core and the gravity of the Earth's mantle, and can slightly affect the Earth's rotation.

The inner core dynamics

Scientists at USC have demonstrated that the Earth's core is moving backward—slowing down—relative to the planet's surface, as shown in a new study published June 12 in the journal Nature.

The scientific community has long debated the motion of the inner core, with some studies suggesting that it rotates faster than the Earth's surface. However, recent research from USC shows conclusively that as of 2010 the inner core is slowing down, and is now moving at a slower rate than the surface of the Earth.

"When I first saw the seismograms that hinted at this change, I was surprised," said John Widale, a professor of earth sciences in USC's College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. "But when we managed to find another two dozen observations showing the same pattern, the result was inevitable. The inner core slowed for the first time in many decades. Other scientists have recently proposed similar and different models, but our research provides the most convincing solution.”

The relativity of the opposite behavior and the slowdown

The inner core is considered to be moving backwards relative to the Earth's surface because it is moving slightly slower than the Earth's mantle for the first time in about 40 years. Relative to its speed in previous decades, the inner core is slowing down.

The inner core is a solid iron-nickel ball surrounded by a liquid iron-nickel outer core. Its size is about the size of the moon. The inner core is more than 4,500 km below our feet and is a challenge for researchers: it cannot be visited or seen. Scientists must use seismic waves from earthquakes to create simulations of the movement of the inner core.

Weidale along with Wei Wong of the Chinese Academy of Sciences used a waveform and repeated earthquakes unlike other studies. Repeated earthquakes are seismic events that occur in the same place and produce identical seismograms.

In this study, the researchers collected and analyzed seismic data recorded around the South Sandwich Islands from 121 repeated earthquakes that occurred between 1991 and 2023. They also used data from two Soviet nuclear tests between 1971 and 1974, as well as repeated French and US nuclear tests from other studies of the inner core.

Wiedale said the slowing of the inner core was caused by the rotation of the liquid outer core that surrounds it, which generates the Earth's magnetic field, as well as gravitational pulls from dense rock regions in the Earth's upper mantle.

Impact on the Earth's surface

The effects of this change in the motion of the inner core on the Earth's surface can only be estimated. Vidale said the receding inner core could change the length of the day by fractions of a second: "It's very hard to notice, on the order of a millisecond, almost lost in the noise of the swirling oceans and atmosphere."

Future research by USC scientists aims to map the trajectory of the inner core in greater detail to reveal exactly why it changes. "The dance of the inner core may be even more vibrant than we know so far," Vidale said.

The inner core dynamics

Scientists at USC have demonstrated that the Earth's core is moving backward—slowing down—relative to the planet's surface, as shown in a new study published June 12 in the journal Nature.

The scientific community has long debated the motion of the inner core, with some studies suggesting that it rotates faster than the Earth's surface. However, recent research from USC shows conclusively that as of 2010 the inner core is slowing down, and is now moving at a slower rate than the surface of the Earth.

"When I first saw the seismograms that hinted at this change, I was surprised," said John Widale, a professor of earth sciences in USC's College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. "But when we managed to find another two dozen observations showing the same pattern, the result was inevitable. The inner core slowed for the first time in many decades. Other scientists have recently proposed similar and different models, but our research provides the most convincing solution.”

The relativity of the opposite behavior and the slowdown

The inner core is considered to be moving backwards relative to the Earth's surface because it is moving slightly slower than the Earth's mantle for the first time in about 40 years. Relative to its speed in previous decades, the inner core is slowing down.

The inner core is a solid iron-nickel ball surrounded by a liquid iron-nickel outer core. Its size is about the size of the moon. The inner core is more than 4,500 km below our feet and is a challenge for researchers: it cannot be visited or seen. Scientists must use seismic waves from earthquakes to create simulations of the movement of the inner core.

repeated access

Weidale along with Wei Wong of the Chinese Academy of Sciences used a waveform and repeated earthquakes unlike other studies. Repeated earthquakes are seismic events that occur in the same place and produce identical seismograms.

In this study, the researchers collected and analyzed seismic data recorded around the South Sandwich Islands from 121 repeated earthquakes that occurred between 1991 and 2023. They also used data from two Soviet nuclear tests between 1971 and 1974, as well as repeated French and US nuclear tests from other studies of the inner core.

Wiedale said the slowing of the inner core was caused by the rotation of the liquid outer core that surrounds it, which generates the Earth's magnetic field, as well as gravitational pulls from dense rock regions in the Earth's upper mantle.

Impact on the Earth's surface

The effects of this change in the motion of the inner core on the Earth's surface can only be estimated. Vidale said the receding inner core could change the length of the day by fractions of a second: "It's very hard to notice, on the order of a millisecond, almost lost in the noise of the swirling oceans and atmosphere."

Future research by USC scientists aims to map the trajectory of the inner core in greater detail to reveal exactly why it changes. "The dance of the inner core may be even more vibrant than we know so far," Vidale said.

for the scientific article

More of the topic in Hayadan:

Comments

  1. The core has properties that can be measured remotely (magnetism), just as the chemical composition of stars in space is measured remotely. Not everything can be touched, but many things can be measured.
    my father

  2. Nonsense in the juice!!! It's all speculation and inventions! Just so you understand - the deepest they managed to reach in the drilling is 12 km!!!!! So how the hell do they know what the inside of the earth looks like and whether there really is a core or space or "people inside the earth" they "guess" there is a core and that it
    turning around and now she is slowing down!! They want to sow fear in the public and we believe that we are "Tsi-Bor" and they trust it!!

  3. there's nothing to do
    The commenters here prove that humanity is still
    not yet ripe, not baked,
    Abyssal infantility.
    Of course there is hope,
    But it is far far into the future...the unknown

  4. We rely exclusively on facts backed by scientific research. The climate crisis theory is backed by millions of proofs from different fields of science, so just crying will not make your delusional theories and those of the Ecclesiastical Forum real. You claim against us what you yourselves want to do. A world where you can turn the land, the atmosphere and the sea into sewage, the main thing is not to pay and you think it won't hurt you. It is a fact that now the reaction of the earth is felt, and it is stronger than the selfish politicians.
    my father

  5. Good Morning
    And this causes a decrease in the magnetic field that protects us from the sun which in turn causes climate change
    But of course you are sheep and trainers for stupid studies that point the finger of blame at humanity and thus you contribute to this nonsense that has a very bad purpose and it is either the enslavement of the population or the tzitzoma of the Fabian Society and the other evil socialists
    You are the same people who think it's Bibi or Lapid and don't realize that you are the problem
    And you will pay with the blood of your child

  6. In 20 years you will probably say "that the Earth" has stopped spinning around its axis.
    Understand, you can't lie all the time!!!!
    Earth's bluff is exposed for all to see

  7. Bunch of nonsense
    I have a bachelor's degree in physics about 20 years ago
    Not much has changed since then in relation to password science
    There is no one who has scientifically managed to dig inside the ball beyond a few hundred meters, Russia I guess. The author of the article also adds "it is not possible to visit her or see her.."
    But it is also possible to engrave us
    Fifi

  8. Superman puts the wheel back again!!! You may not have noticed but everything you experience these days is a roller coaster load in all systems. Really reminds me of George trying to cross the road with the Pilfer machine. That's how we are

  9. Liars in the name of science. The earth does not rotate at all! If she had turned, she would have had to turn 6700 km/h. And the centrifugal force exerted on us was crazy! And the stars would not stand relatively still, and certainly not the North Star! It is useless to send children to school to poison their brains!

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