The core of the earth grows asymmetrically. Scientists have a possible solution to the mystery

The Earth’s iron core increases in diameter by about a millimeter every year. Posted in temper nature However, they suggest that one side of this nucleus grows faster than the other.

The team consists of Daniel Frost, Marine Lasplace, Brian Chandler and Barbara Romanovic It claims to be 1.5 billion to 0.5 billion years ago The process of deepening this disparity can begin. Then, after billions of years of cooling, Earth’s hot core has cooled enough to begin the crystallization process. They persist to this day and cause that when iron crystallizes in the outer core, it becomes its newest layer.

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It is estimated that the inner core currently has a radius of 1,207 km, and its temperature reaches 5,000 ° C. And although there is asymmetric growth there, the immense gravity keeps the body spherical, even in shape. However, the asymmetry in question is not just a scientific curiosity – experts believe that it may affect the formation of our planet’s magnetic field.

Daniel Frost, one of the study’s lead authors, asserts that the inner core is surrounded by an outer core, and above it is a cap surrounded by a shell. In order for the inner core to grow in size, it must transfer heat from the time of the formation of the Earth and related to the decomposition of radioactive elements. This heat is transmitted from one layer to another where it is partially absorbed.

Hence, there is a possible explanation for the asymmetry mentioned. The largest core growth occurs in Indonesia, which is the main subduction zone. There the relatively cold parts of the tectonic plates merge with the hot mantle, cooling it. As a result, the inner core crystallizes faster.

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And while the reasons for the asymmetry are uncertain, another mystery has been solved incidentally: Why do the iron crystals in the inner core line up parallel to the Earth’s north-south rotation axis? Scientists at Berkeley believe the answer lies in the asymmetric shape of the nucleus. When gravitational forces disperse these crystals, they form an organized network that acts as a rapid communication hub for the earthquakes.

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