Emily Chan
The rotation of our planet’s inner core is starting to show signs of slowing down. In the past, the inner core was thought to spin faster than the speed of the Earth’s surface, but new research has found that it has been slowing down since 2010.
For the first time in decades, our planet’s inner core is spinning more slowly than the surface, which might lead to changes in how long our days are.
“When I first saw the seismographs that hinted at this change, I was stumped,” said John Vidale, a professor of earth sciences at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences.
“But when we found two dozen more observations signaling the same pattern, the result was inescapable.”
“The inner core had slowed down for the first time in many decades. Other scientists have recently argued for similar and different models, but our latest study provides the most convincing resolution.”
The Earth is made up of several layers—the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. Each layer has its own unique features and compositions.
The outermost layer of the Earth is the crust, which varies in thickness from three to 44 miles. Underneath the crust, there is the mantle.
It is about 1,800 miles deep and primarily consists of silicate materials that are rich in magnesium and iron.
The outer core is about 1,800 to 3,200 miles deep. It is mainly made up of nickel and liquid iron. Its movement is what creates the Earth’s magnetic field.
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