Earth's inner core has 2 layers, study reveals
Scientists have found evidence that Earth's inner core isn't a single solid ball—it's got two distinct layers.
This challenges what most of us learned in school about the planet's four-layer structure.
The discovery comes from Joanne Stephenson and her team at Australian National University, who dug through decades of seismic data to get a clearer picture.
Researchers found a shift in seismic wave direction
The researchers found that the direction of seismic wave anisotropy in the inner core changes to a 54-degree angle.
This means the very center of Earth acts differently from the layer just outside it, hinting at two separate cooling events in our planet's history.
Findings could improve understanding of Earth's cooling and magnetic field
This helps clear up confusion scientists had when studying earthquake waves moving through Earth's center and supports other evidence that the core isn't uniform.
Knowing about these two layers may give us better clues about how Earth cools down, how it generates its magnetic field, and even how it might change in the future.
Research opens up new avenues for exploration
Even though there are still some gaps (especially near the poles), this research opens up new ways to explore what's happening deep under our feet—and could help explain more about how our planet works as a whole.