Scientists are concerned about new discovery about Earth’s core

O earth corecomposed mainly of iron and nickel, divided into an outer and inner core, surprised scientists recently.

Previously considered rigid, a study conducted by a team at the University of Texas at Austin and partners in China revealed something completely unexpected.

Researchers discovered that the inner core of Earth it is more flexible than previously thought, possibly due to atomic-level activities. This new information contradicts previous studies, which stated that the Earth’s core was solid.

The discovery took the scientific community by surprise.

Image: BBC/Reproduction

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The solid structure of the iron atoms that make up the inner core is subject to extremely high pressures, considered the highest on the planet. However, the research revealed that, even in these conditions, there are spaces for unexpected movements.

Published in the magazine Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencesthe study identified specific groups of iron atoms in the inner core capable of moving quickly, changing their position in a fraction of a second, although the underlying metallic structure of the iron remains the same.

This capacity for movement, called “collective movement”, is comparable to changing seats at the table during dinner.

Youjun Zhang, a physicist at Sichuan University and co-author of the study, explained in a statement that the surprising discovery was the malleability of solid iron found in the Earth’s innermost layers, allowing its atoms to move much further than scientists could imagine.

This significant discovery left the scientific community completely disconcerted, as the inner core plays a crucial role in the dynamics and geology of the planet, especially in the processes that influence the Earth’s magnetic field, frequently covered in school teaching.

To achieve these results, scientists simulated the Earth’s inner core in the laboratory, using a small iron plate and firing a high-speed projectile at it.

The temperature, pressure and velocity data from the experiment were fed into a machine learning model, allowing observation of the behavior of atoms in the inner core.

Understanding the activity of the inner core on an atomic scale can guide future investigations into the generation of energy and heat in this region.

Furthermore, it can also clarify the relationship between the inner and outer core, and how both collaborate to generate the magnetic fielda fundamental element for understanding the habitability of the Earth.