A new study defies what has been known to humans for decades now, where previous knowledge about the four layers of the Earth sees debunking from this latest discovery. It is common knowledge that the Earth has two cores, the inner core and the outer core, but researchers have recently stumbled upon the "secret" one called the "innermost inner core."
The question now is what purpose it brings the public, especially as it is part of the Earth's innermost layers, the center of everything to harbor life on the planet.
'Innermost Inner Core' of the Earth Discovered by Researchers
Researchers from the Australian National University revealed via a news release that its researchers discovered a new development in the planet, with an "innermost inner core" that remained unknown for millennia.
Seismologists from ANU measured the speeds and waves that passed through the Earth's inner core and managed to discover the previous speculations behind it.
"The existence of an internal metallic ball within the inner core, the innermost inner core, was hypothesised 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.
The researchers published their study and findings in the Nature Communications publication, which details the discovery.
What is the Innermost Inner Core's Purpose?
The innermost inner core's main purpose is still unknown, but researchers are excited for further studies to learn more about the planet and its magnetic field.
"This inner core is like a time capsule of Earth's evolutionary history - it's a fossilised record that serves as a gateway into the events of our planet's past. Events that happened on Earth hundreds of millions to billions of years ago," said Professor Hrvoje Tkalčić from ANU.
The Earth and its Marvels
The home planet where we live is a majestic entity, as despite some focusing on other worlds and the cosmos, people are still met with new information and knowledge of the planet. One of the most interesting parts of the planet is its layer, especially one that controls its rotation, gravity, magnetic fields, and more.
One study from China suggested that the Earth's inner core may have stopped or reversed in the past 70 years, as per seismic data which the researchers investigated.
It is also wonderful to know that the Earth's tectonic plates were recently studied for their age, and Harvard researchers claimed that it is over 3.25 billion years old now.
The Earth remains the home of most humans (as others stay in the International Space Station), and there are significant actions here to preserve it for future generations. New researchers like the one from ANU give more information about what makes up the planet, as understanding it would be a significant key in further existence and livelihood here.
