(ORDO NEWS) — The composition of the innermost part of the planet, as it turned out, is seriously different from the core as a whole.
It was not previously possible to detect it due to the difficulties of studying this part of the planet.
Until now, it was believed that the solid, inner part of the Earth has a radius of just over 1200 kilometers (diameter – about 2500 kilometers). It was supposed to contain iron and nickel with small impurities.
Now, Australian researchers confirmed, will significantly change the content of textbooks.
Using seismic waves generated by earthquakes, the authors of the article studied their “echo”, reflection from the earth’s core.
Seismic P-waves traveling at an angle of 50° to the Earth’s rotational axis were found to be 4% slower than similar waves at other angles.
In general, rather weak “reflections” from the nucleus showed that in its center there is a “core of the nucleus” with a diameter of about half the nucleus as a whole.
We are talking about a radius of 650 kilometers (diameter – about 1300 kilometers). This core consists of iron, and nickel in it, apparently, is quite small.
The question of internal structures in the core of the Earth is extremely important, not only for studying our planet, but also for understanding the evolution and internal structure of all planets.
The fact is that detailed seismic observations are available to us only on Earth.
Recent first attempts at the same observations on Mars showed extremely unexpected results (it turned out to be geologically active bowels, which goes against all the predictions of geologists).
Perhaps the study of the Earth’s core can correct our understanding of the geological features of Mars, and in general the chances of other planets to maintain seismic activity, which is critical for the emergence and preservation of life.
According to modern concepts, the modern core of the Earth was formed far from immediately.
Initially, the chemical composition of the planet was close to homogeneous, and only with time did heavier elements, such as iron and nickel, sink to its center.
The lighter silicates, of which the mantle and part of the crust are composed, on the contrary, received many light minerals from the center of the planet.
Among them are those that contained a lot of water.
According to last year’s work by a group of chemists led by Artem Oganov, it was from the ancient core that the Earth received the bulk of the water of modern oceans.
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