So far, we have all read that the Earth has four layers – the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. Shockingly, it has now been revealed that there may be a 5th layer. New insights into the deep parts of the Earth’s interior have been revealed by seismic waves generated by earthquakes, studied by a team of researchers from the Australian National University and published in the journal . Nature Communications.
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, called the innermost core. . They conducted their analysis using data from more than 200 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater that occurred in the past decade. According to the researchers, “Earth’s interior (IC), which is less than 1% of Earth’s volume, is a time capsule of our planet’s history.”
A new layer of Earth
According to a study published in the journal Nature Communications, there is a new layer in the Earth’s interior that takes the form of a solid, metallic sphere at the core. It’s not molten, it’s solid. This research emphasizes the importance of exploring the core of the Earth to gain insight into the formation and evolution of planets.
In the study, the researchers examined the anisotropy of the iron-nickel alloy that makes up the Earth’s inner core. Anisotropy refers to the variation in seismic wave speed through the material of the inner core, depending on the direction of wave travel. The researchers found that seismic waves were repeatedly bouncing at different angles near the Earth’s center.
By examining differences in the travel times of seismic waves caused by different earthquakes, the team discovered that the crystal structure in the innermost region of the Earth’s interior is different from the outer layer. Researchers believe that a major global event during Earth’s evolution may have caused a significant change in the crustal structure of the inner core.
These new findings suggest the presence of a fifth layer beneath the inner core.
tech.hindustantimes.com
