A new study suggests that the Earth’s core is slowing down, which could have implications for how long a single day actually lasts, according to a report by Newsweek:
“Compared to the speed of the Earth’s surface, the inner core was previously thought to rotate faster. However, since 2010, it has begun to slow down, according to a new paper in the journal Nature.
“Now, our inner core is spinning slower than the surface for the first time in decades, and this might lead to changes in the length of our days.
“‘When I first saw the seismograms that hinted at this change, I was stumped,’ John Vidale, a professor of Earth Sciences at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, said in a statement.
“‘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 composed of several layers, broadly classified into the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core, each with distinct characteristics and compositions.
“The crust is the Earth’s outermost layer, and varies in thickness from between 3 and 44 miles. Beneath the crust is the mantle, which extends to about 1,800 miles deep, and is made mostly of silicate minerals rich in iron and magnesium. The outer core lies beneath the mantle and extends from about 1,800 miles to 3,200 miles deep, and is mainly made up of liquid iron and nickel—the movement of which generates the Earth’s magnetic field.”
To read the entire article by Newsweek, please click HERE.
