Earth’s Structure Has a Fifth Layer: Bouncing Seismic Waves Reveal Secrets of the Planet’s Inner Core

Data captured from seismic waves caused by earthquakes has shed new light on the deepest parts of Earth’s inner core, according to seismologists from The Australian National University (ANU).

By measuring the different speeds at which these waves penetrate and pass through the Earth’s inner core, the researchers believe they’ve documented evidence of a distinct layer inside Earth known as the innermost inner core – a solid “metallic ball” that sits within the center of the inner core.

“The existence of an internal metallic ball within the inner core, the innermost inner core, was hypothesized about 20 years ago. We now provide another line of evidence to prove the hypothesis,” Dr. Thanh-Son Phạm, from the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences, said.

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Article URL : https://scitechdaily.com/earths-structure-has-a-fifth-layer-bouncing-seismic-waves-reveal-secrets-of-the-planets-inner-core/